Peach Pie

Peach pie is a big favorite for people all across the country. This beautiful pie was baked recently by my friend, Sally Hansen Sylvester. More than a few years ago we were high school classmates in Lusk, Wyoming — and thanks to NCHS class reunions and Facebook communications, Sally and I are still in touch. Although I have always preferred cooking to baking, I admire those who have that very special golden touch when it comes to baking. Thanks for sharing your peach pie, Sally — and now I’m really curious about those “Creole Pralines” on your coffee mug!

For the pie dough:

2½ cups all-purpose flour
12 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter (in 1/2-inch cubes)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/4 cup water (taken from 3/4 cup ice water)
1 egg white, beaten
Granulated sugar

For the pie filling:

6-8 ripe peaches (about 5 cups) — peeled, pitted and sliced
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground nutmeg

For the pie dough: Use the pulse function of a food processor (or your fingertips) to blend flour, butter and salt together to a “coarse meal” consistency —  pebbles of butter should remain in the mixture; set aside. Add the beaten egg yolk and vinegar to 1/4 cup of the ice water; stir to combine. Drizzle 4 tablespoons of this mixture over the prepared dough, and gently stir or pulse to combine. Pinch off a piece of dough about the size of a golf ball; squeeze it to combine. If dough does not hold together, add a little more of the liquid to the dough; pulse once more and check dough again. Repeat this step, as needed, until dough holds together when tested. Turn dough out onto a lightly-floured surface, and form into a rough ball. Divide the ball in half with a pastry scraper; then divide each portion in half again and again, creating 8 portions. Flatten each portion of dough once or twice with the heel of your hand (expanding the pebbles of butter), then gather dough together again into one ball. Divide the ball in half, and flatten each ball into a 5-inch or 6-inch disc (making one disc slightly larger than the other). Wrap discs separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 60 minutes.

For the pie:
Preheat oven to 425°. Combine sliced peaches, lemon juice, sugar and flour in a large bowl. Mix gently to combine; set aside. Remove the larger pastry disc from the refrigerator; roll it out on a lightly-floured surface and place it in a 9-inch pie plate. NOTE: Before proceeding further, read the miscellaneous ideas shared in “Helpful Options”. Add peaches to the prepared pie crust; sprinkle with nutmeg and set aside. Remove the second disc of pastry from the refrigerator and roll it out. Carefully place it on top of the pie filling, and wet the edges of the bottom pastry lightly with ice water. Trim off any excess pastry, then pinch the edges of the bottom and top pastries together; cut a few slits in the top crust for steam to escape. Brush beaten egg white over the top crust, especially around the edges, and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake 15 minutes then, without opening the oven door, reduce heat to 375°. Bake 45-60 minutes, until peaches are bubbly and pastry is golden. — Serves 6-8

Helpful Options 

Should pie crust be chilled before rolling it?

Chilling pie dough in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes (or up to overnight) hardens the fat and relaxes the gluten in the dough, helping to maintain the crust’s structure as it bakes and preventing a tough crust. 

What keeps the bottom crust of a peach pie from becoming soggy?

(1) Add a Layer — Sprinkle a light layer of dried breadcrumbs or crushed cornflakes (or other types of cereal) on the bottom crust before filling and baking.

(2) Brush the Bottom — Coat the bottom crust lightly with corn syrup (or with a slightly-beaten egg white) before adding the filling to form a seal between the pie dough and the filling and help to make a crisp and flaky crust.

(3) Fill It While It’s Hot — Don’t let the filling cool before adding it to the crust, because a hot filling helps to “set” the crust and reduce sogginess even before it goes into the oven.

What is the best way to thicken peach pie filling?

All-purpose flour or cornstarch is quite often used, but sometimes tapioca, arrowroot or potato starch can help to achieve the desired consistency. Remember — cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour, so be sure to adjust the amount accordingly when using cornstarch. Tapioca starch may be preferable for blueberry, cherry or peach pies (especially if they are to be frozen) as it does not break down when thawed. Arrowroot works well with higher acidity fruits, such as strawberries or blackberries, because (unlike cornstarch) the fruit’s acidity does not break it down. Potato starch, unlike some of the other options, also does not break down and will not cause a pie to become watery. All of these options are workable, but plain old flour still works just fine.