Apple, pumpkin, pecan, chocolate—pie season is here with full force. So many steps go into making the perfect pie: aspot-on flaky crust,perfectly rolled out dough, and just theright mix of filling.
But that golden, glistening crust can't only be attributed to a proper butter-to-flour ratio. A final finishing touch—usually called the egg wash, even though it doesn't necessarily have to include eggs—helps seal the dough and gives it great color. And although the go-to egg wash is a mix ofmilk and whole egg, there are actually many different options when it comes to finishing your dough.
Using the classic egg wash creates that familiar deep golden color, but you can also use just yolks for a darker, richer hue, or just milk for a matte, flakier look. (Also, #realtalk, since all of these egg washes work, you can actually just use whichever one you've got ingredients for on hand.)
Whichever wash you choose, use a pastry brush to apply a thin layer evenly across the top of the pastry. For extra sparkle, sprinkle with coarse sugar. And remember egg wash isn't just for pie; use it on any dough you'd like to give a nice shine to, includingchallah,brioche, andpuff pastry.
The classic egg wash is sometimes made with water or heavy cream, but most often it's a combination of1 eggto1 Tbsp. milk, whisked together until smooth. Use it for that traditional rich, golden brown color with just enough shine.
For a crisp crust with a matte, classic pie appearance, use just milk. Manybiscuits and rollsare brushed with milk or buttermilk to give them that finishing touch.
For a little more shine than an all-milk wash, but not as much as an egg wash, use heavy cream or half-and-half.
Similar in color to the egg-plus-milk combo, using a whole egg to wash the dough provides evenly rich, golden brown color. Whisk the egg until frothy before using.
For a very glossy, intense yellow-golden hue, whisk a yolk until smooth and brush a thin layer over the dough. To stretch the egg-yolk mixture out, allowing you to wash more dough, you can add 2 tsp. water.Because of the rich, bright color and even browning, this was my favorite of the egg washes.
For the most shine, with less coloring, beat an egg white until frothy, then brush over the dough. An egg-white wash is great to use before adding sanding sugar, because it helps give your finished pastry that super sparkly look.
For a crisp, brown crust, leave your dough unadorned. This gives the most matte appearance, so if you like that look, keep it plain.
