Master the Lattice Pie Crust With This Step-by-Step Guide

This article on how to make a lattice pie crust was originally published in May 2015 in a slideshow format, but we’ve updated it for your summer pie baking needs in 2018.

Venting and crimping the top crust of your pie doesn't just make it look beautiful; it also releases steam and keeps the filling sealed inside. And no venting style is more impressive than the lattice crust. For this strawberry-lemon lattice crust pie, author Alison Roman explains how to weave your way to success.

Start with chilled dough from our Flakiest Pie Crust recipe. Working on a piece of parchment paper will make it easier to transport the lattice crust strips later on.

A ruler will help you get perfectly even strips. We chose a beginner-friendly wide lattice for our Strawberry-Lemon Lattice Pie, but feel free to make your lattice strips as wide or thin as you'd like.

Save the little rounded ends of dough—they come in handy if you need scraps to patch up one of the lattice strips.

Start with the longest strips first, and work with one piece at a time rather than trying to arrange them all at once.

Under, over—it doesn't matter which order you go in, just don't be scared to get 'er in there.

Keep going.

You want to work fairly quickly, as softer pie dough is much harder to work with. Each lattice strip should make contact with the edge of the crust—no need to get it perfect, as you'll fold all the edges in later.

A simple fold-over crimp ensures none of those good pie juices will escape during the baking process.

Those scraps you saved earlier? They'll come in handy if you need a patch-up or two while folding over your crust.

if you want a cleaner look, you can always trim the edges of the crust before folding it in. But Roman prefers a more rustic, galette-style crust.

A simple egg wash with a splash of water will get the top of your pie nice and golden.

A sprinkle of turbinado sugar, granulated sugar, or demerara sugar gives you that crackly, sparkly look and crunchy texture.

Bake pie until crust is deep golden brown on top and bottom and juices are bubbling, about 1½ hours. This time is not a typo: That's how long it takes for the crust to perfectly brown and the fruit to properly thicken. There's an epidemic of underbaked pies in America. It's time to put an end to it!

Most importantly, wait—at least 4 hours! This may seem like torture, but it's just the truth; the filling needs this time to properly set. If you can wait even longer, we firmly believe that pie is better the day after it's baked.

Get the Recipe:

Strawberry-Lemon Lattice Pie

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