Honestly got curious ’bout which pie style holds up best for everyday baking. Last time I tried making one, it was a mess – crust stuck to the pan, filling leaked everywhere. Needed to figure this out properly. Grabbed the rolling pin and decided to test-run three popular types: shortcrust, flaky, and puff pastry. Yeah, all from scratch, my arms were tired afterwards.
Getting My Hands Dirty
Started simple with shortcrust. Mixed flour, butter, pinch of salt, and water. Felt sturdy rolling it out, didn’t tear easy. Patted it into my pie dish like dough-playdough. Pre-baked it for ten minutes – nice golden color. Then poured in the apple filling (apples, sugar, cinnamon, my usual mix). Threw the top crust on, crimped the edges tight with my fingers. Whole process felt… solid. Predictable. Like baking bread.
Next up: flaky pastry. Oh man. This one tested my rusty skills. Cutting cold butter into flour, adding ice water quick so nothing melts. Folded it, rolled it, folded again. Did that folding bit six times total. Felt like folding paper forever! Rolling it out was trickier – kept sticking. Made a mess. Finally got it lined in the dish. Didn’t pre-bake this one since the layers puff while cooking. Dumped in more apples. Covered it, edges pressed thin. My kitchen counter was covered in flour by now.
Last contender: store-bought puff pastry. Okay, maybe I cheated a bit here, but hey, who’s got time after wrestling with flaky? Thawed that frozen roll. Unrolled it into the pie dish – easy peasy. Filled with the last of the apples. Plopped the second sheet right on top, sealed the edges roughly. Definitely the fastest route by miles.
Results? Taste Tells the Tale
After cooling down (and me cleaning that flour explosion), cut into them all.
- Shortcrust: Nice! Bottom stayed crisp, held the apples fine. Edges stayed put, no leaking. Texture was kinda like a firm cookie around the fruit. Good all-rounder. Simple.
- Flaky Pastry: Took forever to make… but wow. That taste! So buttery and light, flakes everywhere on the plate. Way richer than shortcrust. BUT, big but – the bottom layer? Got a bit soggy under the apples. Not soaked, but soft. Leaked a tiny bit, needed a tray underneath.
- Puff Pastry: Super convenient. Puffed up tall and golden, looked fancy as heck. Very airy, very crispy top. Tasted alright, fine… but sorta bland? Less butter flavor punch. And structurally, eh? It’s soft bottom couldn’t handle juicy fillings long – started wilting after a few hours.
Picking What Fits You
So which pie’s best? Damn, depends!
- Shortcrust is your reliable buddy. Sturdy, easyish, handles most fillings without fuss. Go for it when you just want a no-leak, good pie.
- Flaky is the show-off champion. Unbeatable flavor and texture, feels fancy. Requires time and sweat though. Best for special occasions or if you feel like proving you can fold dough a hundred times.
- Puff is your emergency helper. Quick, impressive looks, okay taste. Use it for potlucks needing quick fancy vibes or drier fillings. Don’t expect it to hold soupy cherries for days.
My kitchen smells like butter and apples, dog keeps eyeing the crumbs. Honestly, I’ll probably stick with shortcrust most days. But yeah, all styles got fans. Pick what fits your time and how much flaky layer magic you can handle burning.