Lattice Pie Crust Top

I don’t often make fruit pies but it’s my opinion that a lattice top makes a fruit pie look just that much more pretty. Turns out a lattice top is not all that difficult to do. Below are exaggerated step-by-step instructions for how to weave a lattice top for your pie. But if you don’t over-think it and just weave the strips as you probably did when making woven hot pads on a loom when you were younger, you probably will end up with a perfect-looking lattice top.

I over-thought my first top and ended up screwing it up but not realizing it until I had my edges fluted! However, you probably wouldn’t even notice I screwed up at first glance.

directions.

1. Before starting the lattice top, roll out half of your pie dough and line your pie dish with it. The dough should extend beyond the rim of the pie dish by about an inch. Put it in the refrigerator to chill while you work on the lattice.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the other half of your pie dough to just shorter than the same extent as the first half (about half an inch beyond the diameter of your pie dish).
3. Cut the dough into even strips, 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch wide, depending on how thick you want your lattice strips. I used pizza cutter but if you have a pastry wheel, use that.
4.  Fill your pie shell with the pie filling.
5. Lay out 4 or 5 parallel strips of the pie dough, depending on how thick your strips are, on top of the filling, with about 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch space between them.
6. Fold back (half way) every other strip. Place one long strip of dough perpendicular to the parallel strips in the space that was created when you folded back the strips. Unfold the folded strips over the perpendicular strip.
7. Take the parallel strips that are running underneath the perpendicular strip you just set down and fold them back over the perpendicular strip. Lay down a second perpendicular strip of dough next to the first strip, with some space in between. Unfold the folded parallel strips over the second strip. Continue this process until the weave is complete over the top of the pie.
8. Trim the edges of the strips so that the strips are flush with the dough that lines the inside of the dish. Fold the rim of the shell over the edges of the lattice strips and press down. Flute or crimp the edges of the pie dough.