Step-By-Step Guide For Making The Perfect Lattice Top For Your Holiday Pies

It’s not all about what goes into the pie that makes it fantastic. It’s also the overall experience, including the way that the pie looks. Perhaps one of the best ways to make a pie appealing is to create a beautiful lattice top but is it really worth the trouble?

In the video below, Joe Gitter, a test cook for America’s Test Kitchen shares an easy way to create a ‘no weave’ lattice top. In other words, you get the results you want with a lot less work and stress.

Taking a Look at Lattice Top Benefits

Pies come in two basic crust varieties, single crust and double crust. It typically takes more effort to create a double-crust pie than it does to make a single-crust pie. One of the reasons why that is true is because the double crust always relies on pie dough. Any pie that has a lattice-top is a double-crust pie that uses a woven top rather than a solid sheet of piecrust.

Aside from the fact that it looks fantastic, the lattice also allows fruit juices to evaporate. If you are working with a juicy pie, this may be of benefit. Some people use a biscuit cutter or other device to cut holes in a solid piecrust top but the lattice top is always the best option. If you are using a dry type of fruit, then you would probably want to use a regular top crust.

What You Need to Make a Lattice Top

You need more than step-by-step instructions if you want to have a fantastic looking pie on your table. You also have to have the right equipment. Here are some things to consider:

Rolling Pin: Although you may see many different types of rolling pins at the store and online, you can’t beat the old-fashioned wooden rolling pin, such as the J.K. Adams Dowel Rolling Pin. It puts just the right amount of pressure on the dough to create the perfect crust.

Pie Plate or Tart Pan: You need to give some thought to where your pie is going to live while it is being baked and served. There are many varieties and styles of pie plates or Tart pans that include various thicknesses, materials and colors. A good all-around option is the Matfer Steel Non-stick Fluted Tart Mold with Removable Bottom 9½.

Kitchen Shears: The importance of kitchen shears cannot really be overlooked. You will use them for so many purposes in the kitchen, including for trimming the pie dough. A good choice that will last for many years is the Kershaw Taskmaster Shears/Shun Multi-Purpose Shears.

Pizza Wheel: This handy tool is often used for cutting pizza but it also will cut the pie dough just right. Make sure that you choose one that is comfortable to hold, sharp and has at least a 4-inch blade. We recommend the OXO Good Grips 4” Pizza Wheel.

Pie Server: Once you have created the perfect pie, don’t try slicing it with a knife or you might just ruin it. A pie server, which is basically a pointed spatula, does more than serve the pie, it also helps to cut and remove it while leaving the slice intact. The sharp, serrated blade of the OXO SteeL Pie Server makes it a great choice.

Now that you have the tools, watch this video to learn how to make the perfect lattice piecrust: