Pie anxiety
Behind the scenes with Durango's Thanksgiving pie fairies

Whoever coined the phrase “easy as pie” didn’t know what they were talking about. For, as anyone who has ever undertaken such a culinary endeavor knows, there is nothing easy about making pie. From achieving the perfect flaky golden crust and the decorative crimp that doesn’t look like a 4-year-old’s handiwork (unless that’s what you’re going for) to the caramelized deliciousness on top, the entire process is rife with pitfalls. And, sorry to break it to you, but Pillsbury is cheating.

Fortunately, for those of us with two left thumbs, local options abound for that rustic “I made it myself” pie (a little white lie never hurt anyone). Thanks to options like Serious Delights, inside Nature’s Oasis, pop-up farmers markets and Durango’s OG bakery, Bread, one need not even turn the oven on. And for those brave enough to do so, we offer you a rolling pin salute.

However, lest you think the pie fairy magically delivers those delicious, buttery masterpieces in their pristine white bakery boxes, there is actually a lot more that goes into churning out hundreds of handmade pies for your holiday feast.

“There is some anxiety,” Jeffe Morehart, co-owner of Bread bakery, said. “There is a lot of planning that goes into it.”

Morehart estimates that this year, the bakery will make between 300-400 pumpkin, apple and chocolate pecan pies. (Sorry, no mincemeat, as no one is really sure what that is anyway – not even Morehart.)

Bread, which opened in 1998, started making pies for the holidays in 2001. Before that, pie-making duties were farmed out to local baker Mary Anne Griffin. Morehart said up until about 15 years ago, Bread was the only game in town turning out locally made Thanksgiving pies en masse. And, when they started down that lonely road of local pie purveyor, there was a bit of a learning curve.

“Like, how far do you plan ahead? Turns out, as far ahead as you can,” Morehart said, with a caveat. “But, if custard sits around too long, it separates, so it's not like you can really get that far ahead, because we're still scratch baking.” 

Bear in mind, these pie duties are in addition to all the other products the bakery produces on the regular, from baguettes and sandwiches to scones, muffins and those ridiculously awesome cookies. As a result, Morehart and partner, Val Bosviel, begin the pie-making procession around the time you’re still in pumpkin-carving mode. In mid-October, the bakery starts making and freezing pie dough in preparation for the Thanksgiving feeding frenzy. As Morehart said, the dough is the only part of the pies that is made that far ahead of time.

“We freeze the dough, which is beneficial in its own right, because it kind of helps it chill out a little and makes it just a little bit more receptive to shaping,” she explained.

Executing the all-important crust crimp./ Courtesy photo.

Then, a few days before that last Thursday in November, it’s all hands on deck. The 40-person staff works in shifts pretty much around the clock starting at 3:30 a.m., slicing and dicing, whipping up giant vats of pumpkin custard (pumpkin puree, cream, sugar and eggs) in the industrial mixer and assembling the to-go boxes. Then, there is the all-important rolling-out-of-the-crust (which is not par-baked, BTW) and the pièce de résistance of any good pie, the edge crimp.

“That's the hardest part,” said Morehart. And although the job of crimping, which is shared by many, does not require passing a skills test, there is some scrutiny involved. “You can't screw up the crimping, because otherwise you get a custard flood. You don't want a custard flood.”

Then, it’s go time – a constant rotation of pies in and out of the oven, which let’s just say receives a workout (and is the reason your glasses fog up inside on a cool morning.) Morehart said Bread bakes about three or four dozen pies at a time, which are then sent to the cooling rack before reaching your hot little hands.

While most are already spoken for, they do make extras for anyone who gets that last-minute invite or has unexpected guests. And, for you slackers out there, if you happen to read this in time, Bread will be open Thursday till noon.

Then, it’s time for the pie makers to call it good, go home to their families and friends, and take a breather until the next holiday dessert rodeo. Yep, fruitcake.

“That’s next week that we start that,” said Morehart, “because you’ve got to get it all infused. You have to get the booze in it.”

Then it has to be stored in grandma’s dark closet for several weeks? Well, not quite; in this case, they go into the fridge – and then the whole holiday baking frenzy begins anew. And if you’re wondering who still eats fruitcake, Morehart said you’d be surprised.

“There are a lot a lot of people who like it; more people than you'd think,” she said.

In fact, she said the oft-maligned seasonal treat gets a bad rap, and she even ventured so far as to call it delicious and promised to send me one for the holidays.

Challenge accepted.