Shut Your Piehole PIe Vent Cutter

What started out as an interesting way of making shapes in sliced cheese lent itself to performing well in venting pie crusts. Hard cheeses, as you know, have the material property of being hard enough to keep its shape during a cut yet soft enough to not require much force to do so. It turns out, pie dough falls into that category. Cheese, for those who get it: has a hardness probably around 30 durometer Shore A - between a rubber band and a new hard eraser. Pie dough as substantially softer, 30 durometer Shore 00. But both reveal a clean edge when cut.

It was with this knowledge I made a PI cutter that would cut that shape AND keep and eject the positive - like a doughnut hole.

Why PI? It's such an elegant looking symbol and a perfect addition to pies made on PI day March 13th (3/14).

Download and 3D print the PI cutter and plunger files. They are designed in inches.

Make sure the plunger fits into the cutter. There may be swarf or a seam bump you may have to file away. It's a close fit!

Roll out your favorite pie dough to the size you need to cover the pie filling with a dusting of flour between the dough and a flat counter. Press the cutter into the dough and give it a little twist to insure the dough is cut through. Pull away and insert the plunger then press down and the "pi" will pop out. Adhere it to the dough crust with a little water. I've found cutting while the dough is on a flat counter rather than while on the pie is the easiest.

I use an egg wash to make the crust more golden.

Like cutting into dough, press the cutter into the cheese, wiggle a little then use the plunger to pop it out. Looks great on crackers but can be used in many other food preparations. Tip: Put a different cheese into the cutout of another "species" of cheese and it should fit perfectly. The contrast is really fun.