By Brent T. Frei

For 47% of U.S. consumers, the word “comforting” comes to mind when they think of pie, according to the American Pie Council. And 90% of us agree that a slice of pie represents one of the simple pleasures in life. The phrase “as easy as pie” is an American expression that stems from the 1890s, when “pie” was common slang meaning anything easy—a cinch.

Yet anyone who’s baked a savory or sweet pie completely from scratch would hesitate to characterize the task as “easy.” Pie-baking is not only time-consuming, but requires at least some exacting science. Foodservice establishments that offer genuine housemade pies gain kudos from guests.

Meanwhile, the $11.2 billion prepared cakes and pies category grew 24% from 2009 to 2014 according to Mintel’s Prepared Cakes and Pies-US report (June 2014), boosted by interest in the category during the economic recession.

The category proved it could withstand hard economic times as an affordable indulgence. Despite a general trend toward healthier eating in the United States, the category continues to grow.

When it comes to pie, most of us still want it simple and traditional. Unsurprisingly on the sweet side, apple pie takes the cake according to a 2013 Nielsen survey of 1,000 consumers commissioned by the American Pie Council. Chocolate pie ties with pumpkin in the No. 2 spot, while cherry places third. The survey revealed that pie is a preferred dessert on special occasions, with 70% favoring it on Christmas and 67% considering it a staple of family gatherings. 

Mark Kwasigroch, a pastry-chef instructor in the Kendall College School of Culinary Arts, owned and operated a bakeshop for 20 years in Winnetka, Ill., north of Chicago. While his pie sales during Thanksgiving and Christmas were so great that he and his staff began pie production as early as August, the July Fourth holiday saw significant customer demand for pie, as well. Apple, cherry and blueberry pies were perennial good sellers in summer, but the pie variety most of Kwasigroch’s clientele clamored for was peach.

Easy as 3, 2, 1
Ask any instructor in secondary or postsecondary culinary arts, and he or she will likely say that culinary math is one of the most challenging parts of the curriculum. Teaching the additional science behind pastry and baking math can be downright daunting.

That’s why, when it comes to preparing pie dough, many if not most educators teach the simple-to-grasp 3-2-1 ratio of dough ingredients: 3 parts flour to 2 parts fat to 1 part liquid.

The choice of fat is the most important factor in creating a white-flour pie crust with an excellent texture according to Chris Koetke, CEC, CCE, HAAC, vice president of the Kendall College School of Culinary Arts and co-author of The Culinary Professional (The Goodheart-Willcox Company, Inc., 2010). The melting point of the fat is key—fats that are solid at room temperature are best for creating flaky texture in the finished pie.

Butter is the choice of some bakers because it has good flavor, but it is pricey and melts at a lower temperature, producing a crust that isn’t as flaky as one made with shortening.

Lard has long been a favorite fat for pie dough because its higher melting point creates flakier-texture dough than butter. But the slightly “porky” flavor of lard is objectionable to some, according to Koetke.

Vegetable-based solid shortening is the most popular choice for making pie dough, says Koetke, because it’s reasonably priced, has a high melting point that creates a flaky crust, and has a neutral flavor.

But the best fat for making a flour pie crust, says Belinda Brooks, a pastry-chef instructor in the Kendall College School of Culinary Arts, is actually a blend of 2 parts vegetable shortening and 1 part unsalted butter. “It’s the ideal balance,” says Brooks, who annually judges a charity pie-making contest in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood. “Shortening gives me that structure and edge that I want, and butter gives me the nice flavor.” The result is a perfectly flaky and tender crust, she adds. 

At Kendall College, while Brooks’ pastry and baking classes consist of students earning degrees in culinary arts, Kwasigroch’s students are seeking baking and pastry degrees. To Kwasigroch, who after he sold his bakeshop worked for Dawn Foods selling value-added baking products to foodservice customers, aspiring bakers and pastry chefs need to master the basics of exceptional pie-baking before they start toying around with the tried and true. 

“For an introduction to baking and pastry, I won’t go into anything beyond the principles,” he says. “I show students what they need, why they need it and how to execute it to bring out the highest quality and flavor. They need to know these first, and then they can explore the trends.”

Photo: Peach pie photo provided by Dole Packaged Foods.