How To Make The Most Of A Store-Bought Pie Crust

For many home cooks, the phrase "store-bought is fine" haunts every trip to the supermarket, time-saving cooking tip, and would-be ingredient shortcut. Famously said by Ina Garten, one of the most famous gourmet store owners of all time, it's kind of a faint praise situation, as though the notion were perpetually italicized. But, you know what, sometimes, the store-bought version of something is actually fine. And, for Saura Kline, pastry chef at Local Jones (@localjones on Instagram) in Denver, Colorado, pie crust is one such item, she told Chowhound exclusively.

"Store-bought crusts are actually quite good!" Kline says. "I have no problem using them when I'm in a pinch. I prefer the ones that come rolled up, that way they still look homemade when you roll them into your pie dish." This is, of course, in contrast to store-bought pie shells, which are usually molded into highly recognizable uniform shapes and sold in tins. Those have their place, too, as they're particularly handy for no-bake pies, like this pumpkin spice pudding variety. But they're never going to present as from-scratch as Kline's preferred store-bought crust can.

Whether you're actually aiming to achieve a little low-stakes pastry deceit or not, there are a few more ways you can nudge a premade pie crust to look like it's straight from the rolling pin. "Sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar on it if you want an even more home-made touch," Saura Kline suggests. An egg wash, which should be compulsory in any case, will give it that fresh gleam, as well.

In addition, try not to be overly precious about how the dough drapes. A little unevenness will make your final product look distinct from most factory-made and even some bakery pies. Keep your edge-crimping freeform, too, absent any super strict spacing. You can also, of course, make a lattice crust with store-bought dough, which always conveys good, old-fashioned, elbow grease. And, if you're truly an unstoppable perfectionist and you still end up with an obviously assisted pie, you can always obscure your slices with ice cream, powdered sugar, and, particularly with an apple pie recipe, even cheddar cheese. Store-bought crust is fine in each of those cases, too.