Cooking Class: Any-Fruit Pie

Your favorite single variety or combination of berries and stone fruit can be used in this recipe.

Any-Fruit Pie
 
Makes 1 (9-Inch) Pie
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
  • 5 tablespoons tapioca flour
  • 5 cups fresh berries or sliced pitted stone fruit
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Classic Pie Dough (recipe follows)
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
Classic Pie Dough
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • ¾ cup ice water
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider or white distilled vinegar
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425°.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and tapioca flour. Add berries or stone fruit, lemon juice, and vanilla, tossing until well combined.
  3. Let Classic Pie Dough stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. (This softens the dough slightly, making it easier to roll.) On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of dough into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate, pressing into bottom and up sides. Trim dough to 1 inch beyond edge of pie plate; fold excess under and crimp as desired. Fill with berry mixture.
  4. Roll out remaining disk of dough to ⅛-inch thickness. Cut dough using a 2-inch round cookie cutter. Arrange rounds on top of berry mixture. Freeze pie for 20 minutes or refrigerate for up to 3 hours. Brush dough with beaten egg, and sprinkle lightly with additional sugar, if desired.
  5. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°; bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 45 to 50 minutes more. Let cool for 2 hours before serving. Store, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Classic Pie Dough
  1. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter, tossing to coat with flour mixture. Using your fingers, press butter into small flat pieces about the size of almonds or smaller, or cut in butter using a pastry blender.
  2. In a measuring cup, stir together ¾ cup water and vinegar. Add 6 tablespoons water mixture to flour mixture. Using your fingers, toss flour and water mixture together until a dough starts to form. Add remaining water mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed, until a shaggy dough forms and holds together when squeezed. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead a few times just until dough holds together.
  3. Divide in half and shape into 2 disks. Wrap each disk tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.

 

How-To

RUBBING IN THE BUTTER-Rubbing—or cutting—cold butter into the flour is key to a flaky crust. By pressing the pieces between your fingers, the butter forms thin disks which will later form pockets—or flakes—in the baked crust.

 

ADDING ICE WATER-Start by adding part of the water and toss it in with your fingers. Scoop your hands down to the bottom of the bowl and pull upwards to toss.

 

SHAPING DOUGH-Gently knead dough to form a disk. Dough should hold together when squeezed but not be sticky. The flour will fully hydrate while dough chills.

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