How to make a lattice top pie crust

Lattice tops are a beautiful and elegant way to finish any pie. They aren’t as hard as they look, and they only add a few minutes to the overall pie project. Just follow our step by step instructions below and your next pie can make people say “Wow!”

Take the dough for the top crust from your pie project out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature.

Roll out the top crust as usual, just as you did the bottom crust, just a little larger than the diameter of the pie, on a piece of wax paper.

Cut dough into strips about 1″ wide.

I use a plastic pastry cutting roller. A pizza cutter will do. The last resort is a plain old table knife.

Lay every other strip across the pie in the same place it would be anyway.

Roll back all the odd-numbered strips a little past halfway.

Place the longest remaining strip across the pie at that position. Replace the rolled-back strips.

Now roll back all the even numbered strips almost as far as they’ll go.

Again place the longest remaining strip across the pie at that position, again replacing the rolled-back strips.

Repeat this technique until you reach the edge, and then turn the pie around so you can do the other side.

Roll back the odd-numbered strips and lay the longest remaining strip across the pie at that point.

Keep going until the whole pie has the latticed strips on top.

Cut the dough strips right at the edge of the lower crust.

I like to use scissors for this step and just snip each strip. You can also use the dull side of a table knife, and press straight down on each strip.

Collect all the leftover dough and trimmings, make them into a ball in your hands, flatten out into a rectangle, place on a floured surface, and lightly dust with flour.

Roll the leftover dough out to the length of the diameter of the pie, and at least four strips wide, and cut it into extra strips.

Place some of the extra strips as a ring around the edge of the pie.

If the length of your strips is the diameter of the pie, it will take 3.14 strips to make the circumference of the pie.

Turn the plate a full 360° several times as you press the strips down until the edge of the pie is sealed to the bottom crust. Don’t forget to seal the ends of the outer strips together.

Beat one egg with one tablespoon of cold water.

Brush the egg wash onto the crust. Be sure to do the horizontal strips, the vertical strips, and the outer ring.

This pie is now ready for the oven.

With some pies, I like to place a tiny square of butter over each hole so the pie beneath won’t dry out while baking.

Now refer to the recipe for your pie for baking instructions…