How Long Should Pie Crust Rest Before Baking?

Pie-making is an art form. Me and pies had a love hate relationship for a while. I loved eating them, but I hated making them. I just couldn’t get it right. UNTIL, I discovered how to make the perfect crust AND how to cook it properly, so now my pies turn out pretty darn good! In fact, I can now say me and pies are back together! In this post, I’ll share with you some of the challenges I had and the fixes to those challenges. By the end, you’ll be ready to tackle that holiday pie you’ve been wanting to make for a long time! Ok, so first question: How long should pie crust rest before baking?

How long should pie crust rest before baking?

Honestly, I say let it rest overnight. Making pie is not a spur of the moment thing, anyway. People don’t usually just say to themselves, “Hmmm, I think I’ll make a chocolate silk pie right now.” So, since this is a make ahead kind of dessert, it’s actually okay to make the commitment to wait overnight.

But why do we want it to rest overnight anyway? Just like making bread dough or pizza dough and letting it sit in the fridge overnight, letting pie crust dough rest overnight helps the gluten in the flour develop and settle. It produces a more malleable and more cohesive dough that doesn’t easily crack when you roll it. So whenever someone asks me how long should pie crust rest before baking, I always tell them to let it rest a full night.

It also has some push back and squishiness compared to freshly made dough, which is flaky in your fingertips when handling.

If you can’t let it sit in the fridge overnight, at least give it a few hours. Some people say that an hour chilling in the fridge is sufficient and if that’s all the time you’ve got, it’ll work. But, overnight is best in my opinion.

It’s rested, now what?

So now that you know the answer to the question, how long should pie crust rest before baking, let’s move on to the next step! You are now ready to roll, but wait! You must thaw your dough for at least 30 minutes prior to rolling. Believe me, you do not want to hassle with cold dough. Chances are, you don’t have the strength. Plus, it would break apart and be pie chards and not a cohesive dough. Do yourself a favor and wait it out.

After it’s thawed, flour a clean surface and place your dough ball on it. Using your rolling pin, roll it out evenly to about 1/4 inch thickness. The way you achieve an even roll out is by continuously turning it and flipping it and reflouring it. Roll a few times in one direction, then turn it 90 degrees. Every so often, completely flip it over.

Be careful not to overflour, though. That could make your dough extra dry and that’s not good. Just add enough flour for your pin and the counter to not stick.

Hopefully, you have a great rolling pin. I love my simple wooden rolling pin. I’ve used it for years. It’s shaped perfectly for rolling and is tapered at the ends for extra control and grip. It’s easy to clean, too. Check out the exact rolling pin I used for this pie crust here.

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Continuously moving the dough around during rolling also helps you achieve a more rounded circle shape, as well as even thickness. Remember, we are putting this thing in a rounded pie dish so it should be more roundish than not. However, it doesn’t have to be perfectly round because we will cut the edges once it’s in the pan.

Getting the dough into the pie pan

Make your job a little easier and use a parchment paper round at the bottom of your pie pan. Also, give it a bit of non-stick spray. It’s a big save in the end. Roll the pin over the dough starting at one end and using your other hand, help the dough to loosely roll around the pin as you go. This is how you pick up the dough to transfer it to the prepared pie pan.

Then, once the dough and pin are over the pan, unroll the pin so that the dough is unrolling over the pan. Now, press the dough gently into the pan. If you have pie pan beads, you can put those along the bottom. Why? This helps keep the pie crust down and not puff up during cooking. If you don’t have pie beads, something weighted and metal will do.

The edges look pretty bad at this stage, but we’re coming to that. So, take your kitchen scissors and cut around the edges. Leave about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch extra for fluting.

Fluting is the process of pinching the dough around the edges to give it a pretty pattern. If you like a more rustic-looking dough, you can skip this part.

Pre-cook or not?

I’m a fan of pre-cooking. I can’t tell you how many times I have made a pie with a soggy or underdone crust. It’s so disappointing to put all this work into the filling and the crust, but not be able to eat the middle of the pie because it just sags and has no color or texture.

So, do yourself a favor and precook the dough. Just 10-15 minutes at 425 is all you need to achieve a good precook and ensure that the rest of the pie cooking (and eating!) goes smoothly.

These are my tips to enjoying, and I mean actually enjoying, making your next pie! Follow these tips and use the recipe below for the perfect pie crust to keep in your back pocket for all those holiday pies you’ll soon be mastering!

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions About Pie Crust

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1. What Happens If You Don’t Let Pie Crust Rest?

• Shrinking Dough: Without resting, your crust may shrink while baking.
• Tough Texture: Resting allows gluten to relax, skipping it can lead to a tougher crust.
• Irregular Shape: Resting helps maintain shape during baking.

2. How Long Should I Prebake My Pie Crust?

• Standard Pies: 15-20 minutes at 375°F (190°C) for pies with wet fillings.
• Fully Baked Crusts: 20-25 minutes until golden for pies with no-bake fillings.
• Tip: Use pie weights for an even bake.

3. How Do You Chill Pie Dough Quickly?

• Freezer Method: 15-20 minutes in the freezer.
• Thin Sheets: Roll dough thinly, chill for a shorter time.
• Cold Ingredients: Start with cold butter and water for quicker chilling.

Chilling Method	Time Required	Notes
Refrigerator	1-2 hours	Best for thorough, even chilling.
Freezer	15-20 minutes	Quick option; watch closely to avoid freezing.
Ice Water Bath	30-40 minutes	Wrap dough in plastic and submerge in ice water.
Cold Ingredients	–	Use cold butter and water to reduce chilling time.

4. Does It Matter How Long You Let Dough Rest?

• Yes!
  • Short Rest: At least 30 minutes for minimal gluten relaxation.
  • Long Rest: Up to 24 hours for enhanced flavor and texture.
  • Balance: Over-resting can make dough hard to work with.

5. How Long Do You Leave a Pie Resting After Baking?

• Fruit Pies: 2-3 hours for juices to set.
• Custard Pies: At least 4 hours for proper setting.
• Room Temperature: Rest pies at room temperature, not in the fridge.

Check out some of our other great savory recipes while your at it! Be sure to follow us on social media and comment below to let us know how your pie crust turned out!

Craving more delicious recipes? Try these: Easy Trader Joe’s Copycat Chicken Meatballs