Overcooked and cracked crusts, soggy bottoms, burnt edges, apple soup inside a crustIve been there.

And this isnt as isolated as youd think.

These are all commonfailuresin ones journey to a perfect pie, and we can learn from them.

So join me, and lets get to problem solving.

My Pie Is a Wet, Soupy Mess!

This has to be the #1 problem amongallpie bakers, and not just beginners.

So whats a baker to do?

Let your pie rest, aka do nothing: Seriously.

Almost every recipe includes some kind of starch, that will cause your filling to thicken as it cools.

I know its tempting, but give them at least an hour to cool on the counter.

Use different apples: Soft, eating apples are no good against long bouts of heat.

Theyll release far too much liquid and you might end up facing the oft dreaded oven cleaning.

Look for firm, tart apples like Granny Smith, or baking apples like Golden Delicious and Braeburn.

It called for only 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour against 4 pounds of apples.

I approachedthe master herselfwith this, and got schooled K-12 in 140 characters.

MORE STARCH.Stellas recipe calls for 14 cup of tapioca flourfor a good reason.

Theres a Huge Gap Between My Filling and Crust!

Some people enjoy this, because it gets you a crispy crust.

Others, like me, see that as room for more filling.

Though this one can seem fairly obvious, its trickier than you think.

I believed it to be solely the problem of the apples I was using.

Vent like the wind!

The hot steam produced by your filling is going to need a way to get out.

The Bottom Crust Is Soggy and Glued to the Pie Plate!

Ok,thisis the worst problem to have.

Your pie is beautiful and golden, your filling has achieved that perfect, gooey deliciousness.

Still, its a worthy sacrifice for a delicious dessert.

Go lower in the oven: The simplest answer is always the best.

Place your pie plate on a cookie sheet in thelowest part of your oven.

For something that seems so simple, pies can be incredibly complex and host to a multitude of problems.

Still, this is only a small portion of the troubles you may experience.