It’s Summer Pie Practice Season.  Isn’t that what you call Spring? Beautiful strawberries are starting to hit the markets, and they’re a bit early for super sweetness, but not too early to start experimenting with pies and practicing our lattice technique!

These strawberries are big, beautiful, and not quite sweet enough for pie.  Not to worry… nothing a little brown sugar can’t fix right up. 

Here’s the good news:  strawberry pie is super simple to make. Sliced strawberries, sugars, cornstarch for thickening, a hint of ground ginger for balance, and lemon to bring out all the flavors!

Prep Time  45 min               Cook Time      45 min
  
For the Strawberry Filling
5-6 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced in half                   
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar                                       
1/4 cup cornstarch
large pinch of salt                                                      
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
heaping 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger                                       
1 large egg, beaten and granulated sugar for topping the unbaked pie

Pie crust… Make it!  You’re a baking champion.

For the Crust 
2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
1/2 cup cold buttermilk

Instructions

1.Make the crust 
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt. Add cold, cubed butter and, using your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture. Quickly break the butter down into the flour mixture. Some butter pieces will be the size of oat flakes; some will be the size of peas. Create a well in the mixture and pour in the cold buttermilk. Use a fork to bring the dough together. Try to moisten all of the flour bits. On a lightly floured work surface, dump out the dough mixture. It will be moist and shaggy. That’s perfect. Divide the dough in two and gently knead into two disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Allowing the dough to rest in the refrigerator will help rechill the butter and distribute the moisture.

2. Make the filling 
In a medium bowl toss together strawberries, sugars, cornstarch, salt, lemon juice and ground ginger. Toss until all of the cornstarch has disappeared into the strawberries and let rest for 10 minutes. The strawberries will begin to produce juice.

3. Assemble the pie 
On a well-floured surface, roll the bottom crust 1/8″ thick and about 12″ in diameter. Transfer it to a pie pan. Trim the edge almost even with the edge of the pan.

Spoon filling into piecrust.

Roll out the top crust in the same manner. Use a pizza slicer to slice the dough into 1-inch wide strips.

Weave the crust strips on top of the pie.

4. Baking 
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Brush the egg wash over pie crust, then sprinkle with sugar.

Place pie on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake the pie for 30 minutes more, or until the crust is golden and the cherry filling is bubbling. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Let the pie rest for a few hours at room temperature before slicing into it.  The juices need to settle down, decide where they want to be, and thicken.

If you’re wondering what a slice looks like… well, a delicious mess, that’s what.  This pie is packed full of lightly spiced strawberries, juicy beyond compare, and a very nice entrance to the warm days ahead.

 via joythebaker