Making a sturdy pie crust
To hold the heavy, decadent filling, I use a classic pie dough called Pâte Brisée that consists of just flour, butter, salt, and water. I even use it for my double-crust apple pie recipe. It yields a tender and buttery texture, pairing perfectly with the custard.
It’s crucial to let the dough rest, chilled for 4 hours before rolling. This allows the gluten proteins that form to relax, preventing a tough bite. After shaping the crust, freeze it for 20 minutes to chill the butter. I like to use a 9-inch glass pie plate. It makes it much easier to monitor the browning on the sides when baking.
Fully bake the pie dough
Since you don’t bake the filling, the crust must cook in two stages to create a sturdy shell. First, the shell is blind-baked with weights for 20 minutes in a glass pie pan. This process helps set the shell’s hollow shape and keep the bottom from puffing up in the center.
Afterward, you remove the weights and bake the crust until golden brown. It will shrink slightly on the edges, but that’s normal as the proteins contract when heated up. Before filling the pie shell, it needs to cool down completely.
I’ve even made a version using a graham cracker crust. If you like the robust and sweeter taste of graham crackers, give it a try to switch things up!
