Question about using bread flour in pie crusts

After 4 tries with all-purpose, I swapped in bread flour for a lattice top pie last Tuesday and the lattice held its shape way better with zero tearing. Has anyone else tried this swap or is it a bad idea for the bottom crust?

3 comments

3 Comments

paul_taylor2126d ago

I keep reading that bread flour's higher protein makes dough tougher, so I'd worry the bottom crust might end up more like a cracker than flaky.

taylorshah26d agoMost Upvoted

Actually that's a really common worry but it's not totally accurate. I've made a ton of pizza with bread flour and the bottom crust isn't cracker-like at all if you handle it right. The higher protein helps the dough hold gas better so you get more oven spring, which actually helps the bottom stay airy instead of dense. What really makes a cracker bottom is rolling the dough too thin or using too much flour on the peel. As long as you stretch it gently and keep the hydration around 65-70% you'll get a nice chewy crust with a crisp bottom, not a cracker.

taylor.reese26d ago

Right, because my first few attempts at pizza were basically edible tiles until I figured out the hydration thing! Learned that one the hard way after serving up what my friends called "artisanal cardboard.