Category: Desserts

Take your next homemade pie from good to stunning with a Lattice Pie Crust. While this elegant woven design may appear daunting at first, it’s actually surprisingly easy to prepare! Just follow this step-by-step guide to making a perfect lattice crust, complete with detailed instructions and helpful photos.

What is a Lattice Pie Crust?

A lattice pie crust is both a decorative and a functional top for a pie. It’s created by weaving strips of pie dough over the top of the pie filling, resulting in a beautiful, open-weave pattern. This design allows for better heat distribution and evaporation of moisture – no need to cut slits in the top crust. And, it provides an elegantly rustic finish that is both beautiful and impressive! Often added to fruit pies, I always put a lattice top on my mom’s Rhubarb Pie.

Tools and Ingredients Needed for a Lattice Pie Crust (One Pie)

How to Make a Lattice Pie Crust

Here’s a detailed overview of each step in the process of a woven lattice pie crust:

1. Prepare bottom crust; refrigerate.
   On a lightly floured surface, roll out the bottom crust dough to an even into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan. Trim any extra dough from the pastry edge – so there’s around a 3/4-inch overhang. Poke the bottom of the crust with a fork in several places. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Add filling.
   After bottom crust has chilled for at 30 minutes, remove from the refrigerator and spoon in the prepared filling.
3. Cut strips for lattice crust.
   Roll dough for the top crust into a 12-inch circle. Use a pastry wheel (fluted or straight edge) or a large sharp knife to cut the dough into 1/2 to 1-inch wide strips; place strips on a large cookie sheet, side by side. Refrigerate strips for at least 30 minutes.
4. Place 5 strips on pie.
   Remove lattice strips from the refrigerator. Position 5 strips of dough evenly spaced across the top of the pie filling, using every other strip you have cut. Place the longer strips, cut from the center, in the center of the pie, and the shorter strips on either side of the longest strip, so that the smallest strips are on the outside.
5. Fold back 2 strips; add one perpendicular.
   Fold in half the 2nd and 4th strips. Place a long center strip of dough across the center of the pie, perpendicular to the strips you have already placed.
6. Continue weaving.
   Unfold the two strips previously folded back (#2 and #4) so they now overlap the central strip. Fold back strips 1, 3, and 5 and add a new cross strip about 3/4 inch from the first.
7. Finish weaving.
   Unfold strips 1, 3, and 5. Fold back strips 2 and 4; add another strip perpendicular. Continue, folding back alternate side strips as you weave the lattice strips to the edge of the pan, until the top of the pie is covered.
8. Trim strips; fold over lower crust.
   Whisk together the egg and water to make an “egg wash.” Brush egg wash on the edge of the pie, under the lattice ends. Trim any excess dough from the lattice ends as needed to the outer edges of the pie, making sure not to cut the lower crust. Fold the lower crust edge over the lattice ends and press to seal.
9. Finish rim; brush top with egg wash.
   Pinch the dough edge up into a raised rim – and flute if desired. Brush the top of your pie (the lattice pieces) with the egg wash. Now you’re ready to bake your pie!

Variation

You can put more strips on the top of the pie, to cover more of the top (you will have enough pie dough). You can even place the strips touching. I prefer to see the filling through the crust, so I only use 5 in each direction. Just follow the same weaving pattern, turning back every other strip.

Make Ahead Options

How to Make Lattice Pie Crust (Step-by-Step Guide) 

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Take your next homemade pie from good to stunning with a lattice top. While this elegant woven design may appear daunting at first, it’s actually surprisingly easy to prepare! Just follow this step-by-step guide (photos are in the post).

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Refrigeration Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 1 (9-inch) pie

Ingredients

All-purpose flour

2 pie crusts (I recommend our Easy Flaky Pie Crust recipe), refrigerated for at least 30 minutes

Pie filling of your choice for one pie (my favorite is mom’s Rhubarb Pie)

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

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Instructions

1. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the bottom crust dough to an even into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Trim the pastry edge to around a 3/4-inch overhang. Poke the bottom of the crust with a fork in several places. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. After 30 minutes, remove the bottom crust from the refrigerator and spoon in the prepared filling.
3. Roll dough for the top crust into a 12-inch circle. Use a pastry wheel (fluted or straight edge) or a large sharp knife to cut the dough into 1/2 to 1-inch wide strips; place strips on a large cookie sheet, side by side. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
4. Remove lattice strips from the refrigerator. Position 5 dough strips evenly spaced across the top of the pie filling, using every other strip you have cut. Place the longest strips, cut from the center, in the center of the pie, and the shorter strips on either side of the longest strip, so that the smallest strips are on the outside.
5. Fold in half the 2nd and 4th strips. Select a long center strip from the remaining strips; place it across the center of the pie at right angles to the strips you have placed on the pie.
6. Unfold the two strips previously folded back (#2 and #4) so they now overlap the central strip. Fold back strips 1, 3, and 5 and add a second cross strip about 3/4 inch from the first. Unfold strips.
7. Continue, folding back alternate side strips as you weave the lattice strips to the edge of the pan.
8. Whisk together the egg and water to make an “egg wash.” Brush egg wash on the rim of the lower crust, under the lattice ends. Cut the lattice ends as needed to the outer edge of the pan, making sure not to cut the lower crust. Fold the lower crust edge over the lattice ends and press to seal.
9. Pinch the dough edge up into a raised rim – and flute if desired.
10. Brush the lattice top pieces with the egg wash.

Notes

Variation: You can put more strips on the top of the pie, to cover more of the top (you will have enough dough). You can even place the strips touching. I prefer to see the filling through the crust, so I only use 5 in each direction. Just follow the same weaving pattern, turning back every other strip.

• Author: Lee Clayton Roper
• Category: Tips
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Note: This tutorial was originally shared in April of 2010 and updated in November of 2024, adding in more detail and photos!

The post How to Make Lattice Pie Crust (Step-by-Step Guide)  appeared first on A Well Seasoned Kitchen.