Don’t Like A Soggy Pie Crust? Use a Cheese Shield

Whether making a sweet or savory galette, a soggy bottom can be difficult to avoid because the fruits or vegetables in the filling release water as the galette bakes. Here at ATK, we’ve come up with many crisp-crust solutions, such as parcooking the vegetables in the filling or macerating and draining the fruit. But as far as savory galettes go, I’m all about the cheese shield.

Now, a cheese shield probably wouldn’t hold up well in a medieval battle, but it’s the ultimate defense against a soggy crust in this Corn, Tomato, and Bacon Galette, a recipe the ATK Kids team developed for The Complete Baking Book for Young Chefs.

Sprinkling just ¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese over the bottom of the crust before adding the filling prevents the liquid from the corn and tomatoes from leaking into the crust and turning it soggy as it bakes. What you’re left with is a crisp, savory galette that makes the perfect centerpiece to a lunch or dinner spread when paired with a simple salad. Paging Paul Hollywood: I dare you to find a soggy bottom here.