Boy did I screw up...

[ctfoodie]

I went to bake a rustic fruit tart last weekend. I have made many in the past but 1. this was the first of the season and 2. i made it at my summer house which is rustic to say the least. I usally make my own dough but due to the rustic kitchen i did not have a kitchen aid. I got lazy and bought premade pie dough. (i know, i know..) I mixed a fresh peach, some fresh raspberries and fresh blueberries with just a few tablespoons of sugar. i did roll out the dough slightly and then put the fruit in the center, crimped up the edges (overlapping fruit by about 1 inch). popped in the oven at 350 and then disaster struck. it leaked juices everywhere. To add insult to injury, the bottonm just got so soggy that even after cooling in was a soggy mess. Alas, into the garbage it went. Where did i go wrong. My stove is ancient but i think it is relitively calibrated. Should i have added a little cornstarch ( i really do not like the taste)..I want to take adavantage of the summerd fruit but i am gunshy.

[FoodChic]

Temperature is your issue. Those premade crusts require a higher cooking temperature...Don't ask, I don't know why. I've run into similar issues when I cook them at a lower temp. I don't cook them at anything lower than 375, and put it on a parchment lined pizza stone.

Adding a little corn starch or a heaping teaspoon of flour would help too.

[rabaja]

You could also put a layer of frangipane down underneath the fruit. It adds a nice flavor and will help keep the crust crisp. A mixture of pulverized nuts/cookies/flour and sugar spread over the frangipane and under the fruit also helps the juices to thicken, so things don't get so soggy.
Sorry it was a bust!

[dave_c]

I agree with the rest of the crowd here. The pie crust is not really a major factor here. I believe the fresh fruit was extra juicy so a little starch or flour would have helped tighten the filling up.

I would have salvaged the fruit filling and tried again in another dish.

[jenhen2]

I always bake these kinds of things on parchment paper (or even tin foil) to catch the juice so it doesn't leak all over the oven. Next time, you can pull off the top crust and spoon the cooked fruit into a dish and serve with ice cream - delish!!

[greygarious]

It helps to put the pan on a preheated baking stone or sheet pan, to give the bottom crust a jump-start. I too prefer tapioca to cornstarch. It doesn't have the pastiness that cornstarch can impart.

[tzurriz]

tapioca would have helped some.

[monavano]

Cornstarch would have helped, but I expect some leakage with things like crostadas etc. Without blind baking the crust, it can get a bit soggy.
What a shame!