When and How to Par-Bake a Crust

Baking a show-stopping pie for Thanksgiving can feel intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Wirecutter senior staff writer Lesley Stockton, who has baked hundreds of pies and spent years testing kitchen gear, joins us to share her hard-won wisdom—from the best pie plates and rolling pins to foolproof tips for flaky crusts.

Lesley explains how to overcome baking anxiety, what tools are worth investing in, and her favorite nontraditional pies to bring to Thanksgiving. She also troubleshoots common baking issues (like burnt edges and tough dough), and reveals her go-to pate pâte brisée crust recipe that never fails.

This episode covers: 

• How to become a more confident pie baker: Lesley breaks down the basics into manageable steps—practice a few test doughs, learn one reliable crust method, and accept that small imperfections (a cracked edge or a slightly uneven flute) won’t ruin the flavor.
• Why a tapered rolling pin naturally rolls the dough into a circle:  A tapered pin helps roll a perfect round of dough better than a traditional rolling in with handles. Lesley says it’s easier to start in the center and roll outward, which gives you a uniform thickness and a near-perfect circle with far less fuss.
• Always bake pies on a baking sheet: Put your pie plate on a rimmed sheet before it goes in the oven. That catches spills, makes handling safer, and prevents thermal shock for glass dishes. If you can, use a preheated baking stone under the sheet—the stone stores and radiates heat for a browner, crisper bottom crust.
• Which pie plates to choose for each job: Glass (like Pyrex) is ideal for custards because it’s shallow; a deeper glass  or stoneware dish works for deep-dish fruit pies; vintage metal tins conduct heat best, better crisping the crust, and reducing the chance of a soggy bottom (an undercooked crust). Lesley explains trade-offs—durability vs. browning vs. convenience—so you can pick the right plate for the pie you want.
• Essential tools for mixing the dough: Most bakers will appreciate using a Cuisinart to easily mix dough. However, Lesley prefers “analog” tools, including an old-fashioned pastry blender and dough whisk, because they’re easier to clean and give her more control over the texture of the dough.
• How to avoid (and fix) a soggy bottom: Options include par-baking when the filling bakes faster than the crust, dusting the shell with a mix of flour and sugar to absorb moisture, or brushing egg white on the shell to create a moisture barrier. She also stresses correct bake time—underbaking is often the real culprit.

Products we recommend:

• Our favorite rolling pin: Whetstone Woodenware French Rolling Pin
• Our favorite pie plate: OXO Good Grips Glass 9″ Pie Plate With Lid
• Our favorite shallow pie plate: Pyrex 9-Inch Pie Plate
• Our favorite pretty deep-dish pie plate: Emile Henry 9-Inch Pie Dish
• Our favorite baking stone: FibraMent Home Oven Baking Stone
• Our favorite food processor: Cuisinart Custom 14-Cup Food Processor
• Our favorite pastry blender: Crate and Barrel Pastry Blender with Beechwood Handle
• Our favorite dough mixer: King Arthur Baking Company Dough Whisk
• Our favorite butter: Kerrygold Salted Butter
• The best gluten-free substitute for all-purpose flour: Cup4Cup 
• Lesley’s favorite pie-baking book: The Pie and Pastry Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum

Additional reading:

• Our Favorite Pie Baking Tools
• The Best Rolling Pin
• The Best Pie Plate of 2025
• For 4 Best Food Processors of 2025
• The 7 Best Butters of 2025

Additional Listening:

• How to Ace Thanksgiving
• Let's Go to Butter School

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The Wirecutter Show is executive produced by Rosie Guerin and produced by Abigail Keel.Engineering support from Maddy Masiello and Nick Pitman. Episodes are mixed by Catherine Anderson, Efim Shapiro, Rowan Niemisto, Sophia Lanman, and Sonia Herrero. Original music by Dan Powell, Marion Lozano, Elisheba Ittoop, and Diane Wong. Wirecutter’s deputy publisher and general manager is Cliff Levy. Ben Frumin is Wirecutter’s editor-in-chief. Hosted by Rosie Guerin, Caira Blackwell and Christine Cyr Clisset.

Find edited transcripts for each episode here: The Wirecutter Show Podcast