The Blue Mountains region is renowned for its exceptional pies and bakeries, offering a delightful culinary experience alongside its breathtaking natural beauty. A perfect pie in the Blue Mountains combines traditional craftsmanship with innovative flavours, catering to various tastes and dietary preferences.
The Crust
The foundation of any great Blue Mountains pie is its crust. Bakeries like Mountain High Pies in Wentworth Falls and Bakehouse on Wentworth in Blackheath, Leura, and Springwood have mastered the art of creating flaky, golden crusts that are both sturdy and delicate
These bakeries use cold ingredients and minimal handling to achieve the perfect texture, often resulting in award-winning pies.
The Filling
Blue Mountains bakeries offer a wide array of fillings to satisfy every palate:
Meat Pies:
- Mountain High Pies is famous for its gourmet meat pies, including their award-winning Big Brekky Pie
- Taddy’s Cakes and Pies in Blaxland offers a standout steak and kidney pie with tender meat and perfect seasoning
Vegetarian and Vegan Options:
- Hominy Bakery in Katoomba is known for its vegetable and brown rice pie, appealing to both vegetarians and meat-lovers
Sweet Pies:
- Bakery Patisserie Schwarz in Wentworth Falls offers delicious sweet pies alongside their savory options, bringing a touch of German baking tradition to the mountains. Megalong Valley Tearooms are renowned for the Apple Pie.
Unique Flavors
What sets Blue Mountains pies apart is their innovative combinations:
- Mountain High Pies offers over thirty varieties, including lamb, rosemary and shiraz, and Moroccan chicken
- The Big Brekky Pie from Mountain High Pies, a previous national winner, combines sausage, bacon, homemade baked beans, a soft poached egg, chorizo, and potato, topped with hollandaise sauce
Quality and Freshness
Blue Mountains bakeries pride themselves on using high-quality, fresh ingredients:
- Mountain High Pies goes through more than 200kg of mince a week, ensuring freshness in every pie
- Many bakeries, like Bakehouse on Wentworth, bake their pies fresh daily
Accompaniments
A perfect pie experience in the Blue Mountains often includes:
- Excellent coffee, with many bakeries like Cassiopeia Coffee in Katoomba offering top-notch brews
- Side salads or mashed vegetables, as offered by Mountain High Pies
Recognition
The quality of Blue Mountains pies is widely recognized:
- Mountain High Pies won the ‘Best Gourmet Pie’ award in 2015 at the Fine Food Expo
- Taddy’s Cake and Pies in Blaxland recently won multiple medals in the Official Great Aussie Pie Competition, including a silver for their pepper steak pie
In conclusion, the perfect pie in the Blue Mountains is a harmonious blend of traditional baking skills and innovative flavours, served fresh in a welcoming mountain atmosphere. Whether you’re enjoying a classic meat pie, a vegetarian option, or a unique gourmet creation, the Blue Mountains bakeries offer a pie experience that’s truly unforgettable.
A PERFECT PIE
A perfect pie is a culinary masterpiece that combines a flaky, golden crust with a flavorful, well-balanced filling. Whether savoury or sweet, meat-based or vegetarian, the key elements of a perfect pie remain consistent across varieties.
The Crust
The foundation of any great pie is its crust. A perfect pie crust should be:
- Flaky and tender: Achieved by using cold ingredients and handling the dough minimally to prevent gluten development
- Golden brown: A result of proper baking temperature and time, often enhanced with an egg wash for shine.
- Sturdy yet delicate: Strong enough to hold the filling without becoming soggy, but delicate enough to yield easily to a fork.
For vegan pies, plant-based fats like coconut oil or vegan butter can create equally impressive crusts when handled correctly
The Filling
The filling is where pies truly differentiate themselves:
Meat Pies:
- Rich, savoury gravies
- Tender, well-seasoned meat (e.g., chunks of beef in a steak and ale pie)
- A balance of vegetables for texture and flavour
Apple Pies:
- A mix of tart and sweet apples for complexity (e.g., Granny Smith and Golden Delicious)
- Gentle spicing with cinnamon, nutmeg, and perhaps allspice
- A touch of lemon to brighten flavours
- Proper thickening to avoid a watery filling
Savory Vegetarian Pies:
- Hearty vegetable combinations (e.g., leeks and potatoes, or squash and feta)
- Creamy sauces or cheese for richness
- Herbs and spices for depth of flavour
Vegan Pies:
- Creative use of plant-based proteins (e.g., lentils in a cottage pie)
- Nutritional yeast or vegan cheeses for umami
- Cashew creams or coconut milk for richness
Texture and Balance
A perfect pie should have:
- A contrast between the crisp crust and the tender filling
- A balanced moisture content – neither too dry nor too wet
- Layers of flavour that complement each other
Presentation
While taste is paramount, a perfect pie should also be visually appealing:
- An evenly browned, well-crimped crust
- A filling that holds its shape when sliced
- For fruit pies, a glossy finish is achieved through proper sugar content or a glaze
The X-Factor
What truly elevates a pie from good to perfect is often a unique touch:
- An unexpected spice or herb (e.g., rosemary in an apple pie)
- A clever combination of ingredients (like butternut squash in a mince pie)
- A family secret passed down through generations
In conclusion, whether it’s a classic apple pie, a hearty meat pie, or an innovative vegan creation, the perfect pie is a harmonious blend of textures and flavours, encased in a crust that’s a work of art in itself. It’s a dish that not only satisfies hunger but also brings comfort and joy to those who share it.