April 24, 2011 - 11:56am
Seeking High Quality, Reasonable Small Pie Crusts for Farmer's Market
Hi Friends,
I am seeking small high quality pie crusts to make mini pies for Farmer's Market.
Does anyone know the right product and where do I find them.
Thanks,
Stephanie
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Thick or thin fillings?
Do you prefer crumb or rolled crusts?
Savory or sweet?
:)
Hello,
Thanks for taking the time to connect. I will be putting sweet potato pie, pecan pie, coconut pie (all sweet,) also fruit pies. I would be looking for rolled crusts.
I just have not found commercially the small crusts. I am looking for a high quality, reasonable small crust (like the full size commercial crusts,) because large pies rarely sell at market.
Appreciations,
Stephanie
If you google pie press or tart press, you will come up with a lot of hits. Machinery ranges anywhere from small hand-operated presses to great big pneumatic presses that can produce hundreds of shells per hour. Here's one example of what's available at the smaller end of the range. It, or something like it, may fit your needs.
As a bonus, you get to control what ingredients go into the shells, which should be a selling point for your customers.
Paul
Paul has some great suggestions. Making your own pie dough isn't as hard as one imagines. It takes practice, just as with anything else. And making small pies is much easier than handling dough for the larger pies. I have a hot water pastry crust recipe that is easy to mix. This recipe is from my business baking file. Use all white flour if you want...
Whole Wheat Pastry Crust
Delicious, flaky, and easy - whoever would have guessed?
Yield: 3½ # - enough for approximately 3 (two-crust) pies
In a very large bowl, combine water and shortening for a few minutes. Add the flours and salt, then mix until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. It should appear slightly greasy but not stick to the bowl. Add more flour if necessary. Portion into discs, wrap, and refrigerate or freeze.
Thanks Mimi, appreciate your crust recipe. So what size small pies do you offer and what size containers do I need to purchase?
Best,
Stephanie
You can find small disposable pans, aluminum or heavy paper. Aluminum pans are available in many bakery supply stores. For the paperware pans, Novacart makes a wide assortment. Look through their catalog and call to ask for samples. Four or five inch pies are a nice size.
Mimi