This Genius Tip Will Help You Avoid A Leaky Pie Crust Every Single Time

Making a pie can be an incredibly intricate and difficult task, as many have encountered countless pie problems that need addressing throughout their time in the kitchen. Among the biggest of these issues is when you find the crust has cracks as you're in the process of baking it. While this can sometimes become less common if you devote an entire month to baking pies until you get it right, the best way to fix a cracking pie is actually fairly simple: by patching the hole up using what bakers call "pie spackle." It can save the day without the contents of the sweet treat leaking out.

This strategy is especially useful if you've got your hands on a partially-baked pie crust that is either beginning to show signs of weakness or already has cracks that you need to deal with. We discussed how pie spackle works with Bridget Vickers, pastry and baking chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education, who explained how useful the substance, primarily made of flour and fat like butter, can be for those worried about their pies' crust. " ... [It] is a typical, professional hack for patching cracks or holes in a pre-baked (or partially baked) pie crust," Vickers explained. " ... The mixture acts as a temporary sealant. The flour is highly absorbent, and the butter melts slightly, then sets, creating a barrier that prevents the wet filling from seeping through the cracks and making the crust soggy."

Now, if you find that the crust of your pie isn't quite cracked but appears to be weak, you can also brush it with a lightly beaten egg to help it retain its structure. However, considering flour, butter, and sugar are three of the pivotal ingredients for making a flaky, homemade pie crust in the first place, using those three ingredients to create a spackle is a much better option in terms of flavor, consistency, and effectiveness. Bridget Vickers added that these ingredients need to be brought together in a very particular way to create a good spackle. She suggested, "A good starting ratio is 4 tablespoons of flour to 2 tablespoons of melted butter and a pinch of sugar ... stir the ingredients together until they form a thick, malleable paste  — a 'Play-Doh consistency, per se."

From there, you can stick small amounts of the spackle onto the cracks in your pie and return it to the oven. Inside, the spackle should bake into the dough as you continue baking your crust, becoming relatively uniform with the pie's flaky exterior. Not only does this prevent any leaks from the cracks in your pie, but it can also stop the crust from becoming overly soggy when the filling is added after the crust is fully done baking.