1. Perfect Bake 101
Achatz Handmade Pie Co.
Chesterfield, Michigan
AchatzPies.com
AchatzPiesWholesale.com

2. Achatz Handmade Pie Company cares about your baking success and has
provided the following tutorial, also available at www.achatzpieswholesale.com to help
you achieve the perfectly golden brown, fully-cooked pie.
Baking pies requires that you take note of several factors while baking including: oven
temps, temp at start, temp within the oven (upper / lower), monitoring of temp
fluctuations while baking and duration of. Variations of these factors can have a
significant impact on your success.
We recommend taking daily notes of your bakes, especially when using multiple
ovens. Review your notes after each bake, make adjustments and soon you will have
mastered the art of the perfect bake!
Happy Baking!
Wendy Achatz
Perfect Bake 101

3. Pie Perfection!
Learning and practicing the perfect bake requires attention to detail.
Note the tender and flaky pie crust with the filling set up properly.

4. Measure Twice; Bake Once
• 8 pro tips on baking success:
1. Proper slacking and sugaring
2. Temperature-oven
3. Set timer / take notes
4. Look for golden brown crust
5. Texture of apples (insert a fork in the
center of the pie)
6. Finished weight
7. Check internal temp
8. Flip-it test

5. Proper Slacking & Spray
Upon receipt of frozen pies, “slack” or prepare for bake, the double crusted pie by placing into
refrigeration overnight (preferred) or out at room temperature for one hour. Crumb topped
can go directly from frozen to bake. Slacking allows moisture to build naturally, making a
perfect surface to spray and sugar.

6. Proper Sugaring Results in Pie Perfection
Using water/sugar vs. egg eliminates an allergen on the label and the added expense.
Granulated sugar is a great browning agent.

7. Error:
Sugar Overload
These pies were over sugared.
When this happens, no amount of
oven time or increased heat will
remedy the situation. The crust
will not brown and will remain
under-baked (wet and oily).
As you can see, the edges are
brown and centers will remain
under baked with “sugar pockets.”

8. Error: Sugar Missed
This pie has four grams of water spayed on top and eight grams of granulated
sugar sprinkled, BUT we missed part of the crust. The sugar was not distributed
evenly. The boil out looks good and so does the color. Keep practicing.

9. Error: Tobacco Spit & Sugar Melt
On left: We call this “tobacco spit.”
Not enough sugar. It looks blotchy.
On right: We call this “sugar melt” as
the pie was sugared and not baked
timely.

10. Perfection: Good Browning!
Pretty little eight-inch pie. See the sugar crystals on the top crust? Both sugar
and browning processes were on target.

11. Be Familiar With Your Oven(s)
These pies are over-baked and burnt tasting. Sometimes, we must waste the pies to avoid hurting
our reputation. Test your oven. Is it running hotter than the temperature you set it? Is the top
hotter than the middle? Is the bottom of your oven 25 degrees cooler than the top? All busy
ovens need calibrating 2-4 times a year.

12. Where Are Your Hot Spots
The Importance of Using Timers and Thermometers
Demonstrates the uneven heat in the oven as
one half is nearly burnt, center is not golden
brown.
Nice amount of boil out, as internal
temperature reached 180 ˚F which ensured
activation of the starch and proper thickening
of the fruit juices.

13. Error: Over Baking and Lost Weight
These Michigan 4-Berry pies should have been
pulled from oven sooner. They were done 5-10
minutes prior to this.
Too much boil out = lost weight. This pie
should have been pulled out of the oven 5 -7
minutes sooner.

14. Flip-it Test
Place a pizza tray over the top of a cool pie, THEN turn the whole pie over.
You may have to use a knife to loosen the edges so you can remove the tin.
You do not need to waste the pie if handled gently.
Bottom crust, 80-90% under baked. Very wet and
oily. Perhaps start oven hotter. Or did this pie slack
too long in the cooler?
This pie, too, needs more baking. 25% of this
bottom is under baked. Needed longer baking time
or hotter oven to start.

15. Perfect bottom!
What can you do to
achieve this golden-brown
bottom crust?

16. Cool Down
Cool your pie to 70-72˚F (about 2 – 3 hours) before packaging.
It is important to note our pies have no preservatives and can be susceptible to mold.
Keep out of bright lights, warm areas; best when placed in high and dry areas.
Avoid condensation that creates water
droplets on the top dome.
Keep them high and dry; do not store in
warm places or under hot lights.

17. Our Signature Pie, the Michigan 4-Berry,
Sells 2 to One Over Apple!
Perfect, golden-brown M4B pies with a good boil out. Never “slack” or let stand to defrost crumb-
topped pies. They can go directly into the oven, right from the freezer.

18. Thank You!
Thank you for investing the time
to learn more about the perfect
bake. We certainly appreciate
your business. Please feel free to
reach out to our team with any
inquiries questions.
Achatz Handmade Pie Co.
achatzpies.com
Achatzpieswholesale.com
586-749-2882