A pastry lattice is an attractive topping for a pie and it also allows for steam to escape which is important when making pies that have a lot of moisture such as berries and fruit. You can experiment with the thickness of the strips and how close they sit together, or even try twisting them for a fancy finish to really impress your guests.
1
Dust the work surface and rolling pin with flour
2
Roll the pastry to a thickness of a pound coin, about 0.5cm. Turning the pastry by 90˚ as you are rolling will help keep the pastry even
3
Cut into long strips about 2cm wide with a sharp knife
4
If you have not lined the base of the pie you will need to create a rim around the edge of the dish with two strips of pastry so that your lattice has something to stick to
5
Moisten around the rim of the pastry with a little water
6
Lie two strips over the center of the pie to make a cross
7
Next lay strips vertically along the pie, working outwards from your central strip, placing them alternately over and under the central horizontal strip
8
Fold back alternating strips of pastry and slot in the horizontal lines across the pie, so that they go under then over each of the vertical strips
9
Continue alternating the strips until you have a lattice pattern
10
Push down the edges to seal along the rim, then trim any excess pastry with a small knife
11
Brush the pastry lattice all over with an egg wash to glaze
12
Bake in a hot oven, according to the recipe instructions, until golden brown and crispy
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