Fashioning a good crust is only half the challenge in baking a great pie. You want filling that’s just the right flavor and consistency, a neat crimp to hold it all together, and just the right amount of time in the oven to brown both bottom and top crusts. Learn what to do after you’ve laid down your rolling pin and selected your filling — in this case, peaches.

1. Trim the top crust

For our Double Pie Crust, use a pair of scissors to trim the bottom crust to within 1/2” of the rim of the pan. Once you've added the peach filling, roll the top crust into a 12” round, and center it atop the peaches.

2. Crimp

Bring the top crust down and over the edge of the bottom crust, pressing the two together to make a ridge of dough all around the inside rim of the pan. Using the tines of a fork, gently press the crust down onto the pan’s rim all the way around the circumference of the pie. Or make a taller “finger crimp”: Using the pointer finger of one hand on one side of the ridge of dough, and the thumb and pointer finger of the other hand on the other side, press to make even indentations along the entire edge of the pie crust.

3. Garnish and vent

For wedge-shaped scones, divide the dough in half and shape into two 5" to 6" rounds about 3/4" thick. Place rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet; you'll cut them later. For freeform ("drop") scones, scoop 2" balls of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them at least 1" apart. For details on both methods, see an easy way to shape scones.

4. Bake

Preheat your oven to 425°F. Place the pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet (to catch any drips), and put the pie and baking sheet onto the lowest rack of your oven. Bake the pie for 20 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 60 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown. Check the pie with about 15 minutes left; if it’s already perfectly browned, tent it with aluminum foil for the remaining baking time.

Tip: Why the initial high oven temperature? Pie crust gains its flaky texture from the fat in the dough melting and producing steam — which happens most quickly and effectively at a higher temperature. Reducing the oven temperature after about 15 minutes allows the pie to bake fully without danger of burning. However, if the edge of the crust looks like it's browning too quickly towards the end of the bake, cover it with a pie shield or strips of aluminum foil.

5. Cool and enjoy!

Remove the pie from the oven, and set it on a rack to cool. The filling will be quite liquid at first, but will set as the pie rests. If you want the pie to slice cleanly, without oozing filling, allow it to cool completely before serving; this will take at least a couple of hours. To serve warm rather than at room temperature, reheat your cooled pie, tented with aluminum foil, for about 20 minutes in a 350°F oven.

Tip: What’s the best way to tell if your pie is done? For fruit pie, the top crust will be golden brown, and you’ll be able to see filling bubbling around the edges and/or through the vents. For best results, let the filling bubble for at least 5 minutes before removing the pie from the oven.

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