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+--- Thread: Soggy bottoms? (/showthread.php?tid=1556)
Soggy bottoms? - Vinny - 13-05-2022
I like making plate pies (usually corned beef, onion and potato)
The bottom of the pie never looks 'cooked' to me? I usually cook for 30 minutes at 200c in a fan oven. I have tried cooking longer to hopefully cook the bottom but finish up burning the top.
It also seems to depend on what pastry I use? puff pastry giving a better result than shortcrust pastry?
To all you pastry officianado's what is your secret for curing the soggy bottom syndrome?
RE: Soggy bottoms? - Veggie - 13-05-2022
I'm not a pastry cook but I thought you cooked the bottom a bit before you put the filling in?
RE: Soggy bottoms? - Small chilli - 13-05-2022
Blind bake first. Like veggie said.
I’m sure someone will be along shortly with the finer details.
RE: Soggy bottoms? - JJB - 13-05-2022
I'm not sure baking blind will solve a meaty pie with gravy soggy bottom problem, the gravy will always soak into the pastry. Baking blind is usually for sweet stuff like tarts or quiches. You could reduce the gravy content of your filling or put your pie in the oven on a very hot pre-heated baking tray to give it that bit of extra opportunity to cook the bottom. I may be wrong as I very seldom do a pie.
RE: Soggy bottoms? - SarrissUK - 13-05-2022
It could also be down yo what you cook it in. Ceramics don't conduct the heat as well as a metal pie form, so the bottom will cook better in a metal form. In a fan assisted oven, maybe put the pie a little higher in the oven?
RE: Soggy bottoms? - Small chilli - 13-05-2022
(13-05-2022, 06:38 PM)JJB Wrote: I'm not sure baking blind will solve a meaty pie with gravy soggy bottom problem, the gravy will always soak into the pastry. Baking blind is usually for sweet stuff like tarts or quiches. You could reduce the gravy content of your filling or put your pie in the oven on a very hot pre-heated baking tray to give it that bit of extra opportunity to cook the bottom. I may be wrong as I very seldom do a pie.Am I going mad or you ?
. At what point did Vinny mention gravy ? I’ve reread his post 3 times & I can see it
RE: Soggy bottoms? - JJB - 13-05-2022
Weeeeeell meaty pies just might have juice? OK you're right, I just assumed soggy bottom means gravy. I'll go sulk in a corner.
RE: Soggy bottoms? - Vinny - 13-05-2022
My worry is that if I blind bake the base,then add the filling, will the pie pastry cover stick to the blind baked edges?
I do take the point about using metal rather than pottery plates, but I use what I have and my missus always used the same plates. 
Just out of interest here is a piccie of the two pies I made, one with puff pastry and one with shortcrust pastry.
RE: Soggy bottoms? - Veggie - 13-05-2022
We want to see your soggy bottom, Vinny, not something that looks straight out of M&S.
RE: Soggy bottoms? - Bren - 13-05-2022
Vinny this is the corned beef pie recipe I use
https://www.princes.co.uk/recipes/recipe-corned-beef-hash-pie/
Says to bake for 45 mins at 170c in a fan oven.