If the edges of a pie crust are browning too quickly, fold narrow strips of aluminium foil over them. Another trick is to trim the edge off a foil pie plate that's a little larger than the pie you're baking. Place this collar over your pie crust and bake.
The liquid in fruit pies can make the crust soggy. Prevent the problem by brushing the bottom crust with beaten egg white or melted butter and letting it air-dry for 10 to 15 minutes before filling. Set the pie on a very hot baking sheet in a preheated Gas mark 6, 200°C/400°F oven and bake for 10 minutes; then reduce the heat to the specified temperature and continue baking.
When baking several pies together, keep pie crusts from baking unevenly by leaving ample space between the pies and make sure they are at least 2in/50mm from the oven walls. Never block airflow by covering the baking rack with aluminium foil. Place pies on baking trays to prevent any overflowing juices from dripping onto the pies below.
Always preheat the oven to the correct temperature before putting pies in the oven to bake.
For flakier crusts, keep everything cold. Use iced water and well-chilled fat for mixing. Chill the dough before rolling it out (a marble slab is best for rolling because it stays cool). If you have hot hands and find that your dough always becomes oily when rubbing in fat, use two knives or a pastry blender to cut fat into flour - not your warm fingers.
