Pies are defined by their crusts. A filled pie (also single-crust or bottom-crust or tart), has pastry lining the baking dish, and the filling is placed on top of the pastry but left open. A top-crust pie has the filling in the bottom of the dish and is covered with a pastry or other covering before baking. A two-crust pie has the filling completely enclosed in the pastry shell. Shortcrust pastry is a typical kind of pastry used for pie crusts, but many things can be used, including baking powder biscuits, mashed potatoes, and crumbs. Pies can be a variety of sizes, ranging from bite-size to those designed for multiple servings.

The origin of the English word 'pie' is actually rather mysterious. The first known use of the word 'pie' appears in 1303 in the expense accounts of the Bolton Priory in Yorkshire. However, the Oxford English Dictionary is uncertain to its origin and says 'no further related word is known outside English'. A possible origin is that the word 'pie' is connected with a word used in farming to indicate 'a collection of things made into a heap', for example a heap of potatoes covered with earth. One source of the word "pie" may be the magpie, a "bird known for collecting odds and ends in its nest"; the connection could be that Medieval pies also contained many different animal meats, including chickens, crows, pigeons and rabbits. One 1450 recipe for “grete pyes” that might support the "magpie" etymology contained what Charles Perry called "odds and ends", including: "...beef, beef suet, capons, hens, both mallard and teal ducks, rabbits, woodcocks and large birds such as herons and storks, plus beef marrow, hard-cooked egg yolks, dates, raisins and prunes".

Historically, early pies were in the form of flat, round or freeform crusty cakes (represented by modern galettes) consisting of a crust of ground oats, wheat, rye, or barley containing honey inside. These galettes developed into a form of early sweet pastry or desserts, evidence of which can be found on the tomb walls of the Pharaoh Ramesses II, who ruled from 1304 to 1237 BC, located in the Valley of the Kings. Sometime before 2000 BC, a recipe for chicken pie was written on a tablet in Sumer.

The Romans made a plain pastry of flour, oil, and water to cover meats and fowls which were baked, thus keeping in the juices. However, these were more like the practice of clay baking, where the covering was meant to protect the goods baked inside from the direct heat or the fire and the pastry cover was intended to be discarded and not eaten. This was also the common practice in the early modern period and persists for the cooking of fish even today. It should be noted, however that the 1st-century Roman cookbook Apicius (De Re Coquinaria) makes various mentions of recipes which involve a pie case. By 160 BC, Roman statesman Marcus Porcius Cato (234–149 BC), who wrote De Agri Cultura, notes the recipe for the most popular pie/cake called placenta.

In the early Medieval period the earliest pie doughs were probably an inedible, stiff mixture of rye flour and water. The earliest pie recipes refer to coffyns (the word actually used for a basket or box), with straight sealed sides and a top; open-top pies were called traps. Until the mid-16th century this British pie dough known as "coffyn" was used as a baking dish. These pies were meant to be eaten with the hands. The hardened coffyn pastry was not necessarily eaten, its function being to contain the filling for baking, and to extend its shelf-life. Indeed, the thick crust was so sturdy it had to be cracked open to get to the filling.

The first unequivocal reference to pie in a written source is in the 14th century (Oxford English Dictionary sb pie). The eating of mince pies during festive periods is a tradition that dates back to the 13th century, as the returning Crusaders brought pie recipes containing "meats, fruits and spices". Some pies contained cooked rabbits, frogs, crows, and pigeons. In 1390, the English cookbook A Forme of Cury had a recipe for “tartes of flesh”, which included a ground-up mixture of "pork, hard-boiled eggs, and cheese" blended with "spices, saffron, and sugar". The "coffyn" dough for the 14th-century apple pie recipe from the The Forme of Cury was probably a simple mix of water and whatever flour was available in late middle ages. The recipe included spices, apples, raisins pears and figs. The 14th-century French chef Taillevent instructed bakers to "crenelate" pie shells and "reinforce them so that they can support the meat"; one of his pies was high enough that it resembled a model of a castle, an illusion enhanced by miniature banners for the nobles at the event.

Until the start of the 15th century, most pies were expected to contain meat or fish. In the 15th century, more custard and fruit pie recipes began appearing, often with apples and figs and dried fruit like dates and raisins. Fresh fruit did not become widely used until sugar dropped in price during the 16th century. The first cherry pie is recorded in the late 16th century, when Queen Elizabeth I was served cherry pie. Elizabeth was often given gifts of quince or pear pies for New Year.

It was in the 16th century that a puff paste began to be used to make flakier pie crusts. In Gervase Markham's 1615 book The English Huswife, there is a recipe for puff paste where the paste is kneaded, rolled thinly many times while layering with butter. This made a flaky butter pastry to cover meat for pies or for tarts. There is also a pie recipe that calls for "an entire leg of mutton and three pounds of suet..., along with salt, cloves, mace, currants, raisins, prunes, dates, and orange peel", which made a huge pie that could serve a large group. According to Markham, crusts made with fine wheat flour required the addition of eggs to be sturdy enough for raised pies.

In the Georgian era, sweetened pies of meat and dried fruits began to become less popular. In recipe books of the period sweet veal, sweet lamb or sweet chicken pies are given alongside recipes for unsweetened alternatives with the same ingredients made for those who could "no longer stomach the sweetened flesh meats enjoyed by earlier generations". Pumpkin pie was fashionable in England from the 1650s onward, then fell out of favour during the 18th century. Pumpkin was sliced, fried with sweet herbs sweetened with sugar and eggs were added. This was put into a pastry case with currants and apples. Pumpkin pie was introduced to America by early colonists where it became a national dish.

In 1806 Mrs Rundell in her Observations on Savoury Pies in A New System of Domestic Cookery stated that 'There are few articles of cookery more generally liked than relishing pies, if properly made'. Alexis Soyer, a celebrity cook of the 19th century said in his book Shilling Cookery for the People (1860) "From childhood we eat pies - from girlhood to boyhood we eat pies - in fact, pies in England may be considered as one of our best companions du voyage through life. It is we who leave them behind, not they who leave us; for our children and grandchildren will be as fond of pies as we have been; therefore it is needful that we should learn how to make them, and make them well! Believe me, I am not jesting, but if all the spoilt pies made in London on one single Sunday were to be exhibited in a row beside a railway line, it would take above an hour by special train to pass in review these culinary victims".

The alphabetical list of all the pie recipes on this site follows, (limited to 100 recipes per page). There are 574 recipes in total:

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Pâte Brisée (French Shortcrust Pastry)      Origin: France	Pastai'r Bwthyn (Cottage-style Pie)      Origin: Welsh	Poppy Seed Kolache      Origin: Croatia
Pâte Sucrée (Sugar Pastry)      Origin: France	Paste for Tarts      Origin: Britain	Poppyseed Kolaches      Origin: Czech
Pâte Sucrée II (French Flan Pastry II)      Origin: France	Pastei Arennau ac Eidion (Steak and Kidney Pie)      Origin: Welsh	Pork and Seaweed Pie with Potato Crust      Origin: England
Paest Royall (Royal Pastry)      Origin: England	Pastei Bersli (Parsley Pie)      Origin: Welsh	Pork and Wild Mustard Greens Wontons      Origin: China
Paradise Cake      Origin: Scotland	Pastei'r Porthmon (Drover's Pie)      Origin: Welsh	Pork Pasty      Origin: England
Parseli Cennin (Leek Parcels)      Origin: Welsh	Pastelillos de Guayaba (Guava Pastries)      Origin: Puerto Rico	Potato and Onion Flan      Origin: Ireland
Parseli Ffilo Cennin a Chaws Caerffili (Leek and Caerphilly Cheese Parcels)      Origin: Welsh	Pastelitos de yuca con atún (Cassava and Tuna Pies)      Origin: Colombia	Potato Cream Cake      Origin: Britain
Parsley Pasty      Origin: England	Pastelle Dough      Origin: Trinidad	Potato Pizza Base      Origin: Italy
Pasca de Pasti (Romanian Easter Cheesecake)      Origin: Romania	Pastelles      Origin: Trinidad	Potato Shortcrust Pastry      Origin: British
Pastéis de nata (Cream Custards)      Origin: Portugal	Pastes hern lagesek (Stargazy Pie)      Origin: England	Poten Bwmpen (Marrow Pie)      Origin: Welsh
Pasta Frolla      Origin: Italy	Pastes hern lagesek (Stargazy Pie)      Origin: England	Pressure Cooker Steak and Kidney Pudding      Origin: Britain
Pastai Briwgig a Llugaeorn (Pork Mince and Cranberry Mini Pies)      Origin: Welsh	Pastiera di Grano (Neapolitan Grain Pie)      Origin: Italy	Primrose Tartlets      Origin: Britain
Pastai Briwgig Eidion a Nionod (Welsh Beef Mince and Onion Pies)      Origin: Welsh	Pastiera Napoletana (Naples Easter Cakes)      Origin: Italy	Puff Pastry II      Origin: Britain
Pastai Briwgig Eidion a Nionod (Leek and Caerphilly Cheese Crumble Tart)      Origin: Welsh	Pastilla (Moroccan Meat Pie)      Origin: Morocco	Puff-paste      Origin: Britain
Pastai Cenin, Panas a Chig Moch (Leek, Parsnip and Bacon Pie)      Origin: Welsh	Pastry Cheesecake Crust      Origin: Britain	Puff-paste Patties      Origin: British
Pastai Cennin (Leek Pasty)      Origin: Welsh	Pastry for Pasties      Origin: England	Pultes Tractogalatae (Pottage of Pastry and Milk)      Origin: Roman
Pastai Cig Carw (Venison Pie)      Origin: Welsh	Pâte Feuilletée (Puff Pastry)      Origin: France	Pumpkin Cheesecake      Origin: Britain
Pastai cig carw gyda chennin a chaead thatws rosti (Venison Pie with Leeks and Rosti Topping)      Origin: Welsh	Pâte Sablée Selon (pate-sablee-selon)      Origin: France	Pumpkin Croquettes      Origin: Fusion
Pastai Cig Llo (Veal Pie)      Origin: Welsh	Pâtés à la Goyave (Guava Pasties)      Origin: Martinique	Pumpkin Pie with Gingersnap Crust      Origin: American
Pastai Cig oen Cymraeg a Phwmpen (Welsh Lamb and Marrow Pie)      Origin: Welsh	Patty Dough      Origin: Trinidad	Pumpkin Sopaipillas      Origin: Chile
Pastai Cocos (Cockle Pie)      Origin: Welsh	Payn Puff (Medieval Puff Pastry)      Origin: England	Pumpkin, Goat's Cheese and Kale Tart with Three-cornered Leeks (Pumpkin, Goat's Cheese and Kale Tart with Three-cornered Leeks)      Origin: Britain
Pastai Cocos, Tatws a Chennin (Cockle, Potato and Leek Pie)      Origin: Welsh	Peanut Butter Cheesecake      Origin: Britain	Pumpkin, Goat's Cheese and Kale Tart      Origin: British
Pastai Cwnhingen (Rabbit Pie)      Origin: Welsh	Pernam (Ham)      Origin: Roman	Pupusas      Origin: El Salvador
Pastai Cymreig Cocos a Chennin (Welsh Cockle and Leek Pie)      Origin: Welsh	Pety parnant (Small Patties)      Origin: England	Pwdin Bara Menyn (Welsh Bread and Butter Pudding)      Origin: Welsh
Pastai Draig Gymreig Porc, Cennin a Chwmin (Pork, Leek and Cumin Welsh Dragon Pie)      Origin: Welsh	Peynirli Künefe (Turkish Cheesecake)      Origin: Turkey	Pwdin Marmaléd Cymreig (Welsh Amber Pudding)      Origin: Welsh
Pastai Dŵr Poeth (Hot Water Pastry)      Origin: Welsh	Phthois (Pastry Rounds)      Origin: Roman	Pwdin y Gororau (Welsh Broders Pudding)      Origin: Welsh
Pastai Gocos (Cockle Pie)      Origin: Welsh	Pice Cocos (Cockle Pikelets)      Origin: Welsh	Pyes de Pares (Pies of Paris)      Origin: England
Pastai Katt (Katt Pie)      Origin: Welsh	Pie Crust      Origin: Britain	Pykes in Brasey (Pikes in Spiced Wine)      Origin: England
Pastai Mam (Mum's White Pastry)      Origin: Welsh	Pie Crust      Origin: England	Pyrizhky (Ukrainian Meat Patties)      Origin: Ukraine
Pastai Nadolig Eidion a Chlementin (Christmas Beef and Clementine Pie)      Origin: Welsh	Pigeon Pie      Origin: British	Qaghaq Tal L-Ghasel (Treacle Rings)      Origin: Malta
Pastai Nos Priodas (Wedding Night Pie)      Origin: Welsh	Plăcintă cu Branza (Romanian Cheese Pie)      Origin: Romania	Quarkkuchen (German cheesecake)      Origin: Germany
Pastai Oen Cymreig (Welsh Lamb Pie)      Origin: Welsh	Plum and Apple Tart Spiced with Herb Bennet Root      Origin: Britain	Quarktorte (Swiss Quark Cheese Torte)      Origin: Switzerland
Pastai Penfro (Pembrokeshire Pies)      Origin: Welsh	Pollack Pie with Crushed Potato Topping      Origin: Britain
Pastai Ystumllwynarth (Oystermouth Pie)      Origin: Welsh	Pom      Origin: Suriname

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