What are potential causes of splitting in baked pie dough?
I'm trying to identify some potential causes to what might cause the splitting (pictured below).
You can see from the photo that the top and bottom, to a lesser extent, are fine. However the other 2 have significant separation.
Having made other batches with the same dough recipe and same the same filling recipe and not having any splitting I am curious of what other things I can look at and tweak to try and prevent this behavior.
Best Answer
Is it really "splitting," or is it just not tough enough to support the contents of those delicious looking little hand-pies there? It looks like it might be great (tender and delicious) for a pie in a pie-pan which doesn't need so much structural strength.
I think this dough is too short & delicate and/or rolled out too thin for this purpose. It would provide more support if you either added a little more flour and water (proportionately -- in other words: less shortening), worked it a little more to develop a little tougher gluten, or maybe simply rolled it into a little bit thicker sheet. I bet it won't be quite as tasty if you do that, but might be mechanically a little more effective.
Also, I'm not 100% clear on the sizes in the photo, but perhaps the dough could work better as-is if the pies were made a little smaller, ... if that is feasible at all. Since I guess pies scale like other things; the bigger they are, the less delicate they can afford to be.
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Quick Answer about "What are potential causes of splitting in baked pie dough?"
Cracking in pastry: is due to the dough drying out. If the top layer loses moisture, it shrinks and then cracks. To prevent cracking, keep it covered with a piece of clean plastic film before baking or when storing. Spots on the surface of the baked pastry: too much water.What causes a pie to split?
Those cracks you see in your pie are the result of overcooked eggs, eggs that have tightened up so much, in an uneven way, that they've created fissures in the filling. Usually you'll notice cracks around the edge of the pie first, which makes sense; the edges cook more quickly than the interior.Why does my pie dough keep tearing?
If your pie dough breaks and crumbles when you try to roll it out, it's probably too dry. This is a relatively easy fix. Just sprinkle some cold water over the dough with your fingers and work it in\u2014gently! \u2014until the dough comes together.How do you keep a pie crust from cracking when baking?
One way to prevent cracks is to chill the pastry dough before rolling. After making the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 to 30 minutes before rolling out.Why did my pie crust crack in the oven?
A too-hot oven or over-baking are the most common causes for cracking. Don't let the filling puff up or "souffl\xe9," and don't bake the pie so long that the filling is completely set in the center.How to Make the Best Old-Fashioned Flaky Pie Dough
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