Homemade Blueberry Pie
We spent July 4th weekend in Texas with my family, and we had a blast cooking, trying different wines, and spending a lot of time on the lake. My mom’s birthday is tomorrow, and since we won’t all be together, we decided to do a little early celebration with her favorite dessert: blueberry pie. Lucky for me, my brother Ryan has perfected the art of baking pie from scratch, and he taught me the whole process. The recipe he uses is from Stella Parks at Serious Eats (the filling is linked here, and the crust is linked here) if you want to give it a try! In addition to the amazing recipe recommendation, Ryan gave me his top 10 pie baking tips!
Tip #1
Always weigh your ingredients rather than using measuring spoons and cups. This allows you to be way more exact which is crucial when baking.
Tip #2
For this recipe, we are making a “part puff pastry” which means exactly what it sounds like: almost a puff pastry, but not quite. In order to made it a “part puff pastry,” we gently smooth the butter into the dry ingredients, not pulverize it in a blender or food processor. This makes the crust nice and flaky! You also want to form the dough by hand so the butter doesn’t break down.
Tip #3
After rolling out the dough, you fold it 3 times to make layers which is a process called “lamination.” Even though you roll it flat again, the layers will stay intact and add to the flaky texture of the crust.
Tip #4
Adding tapioca starch to the filling is going to help all of the juices come together to make the filling cohesive and thick.
Tip #5
Creating a lattice pattern on top of the pie accomplishes 2 purposes: 1) it helps the pie ventilate while cooking and 2) it makes the pie look beautiful.
The best part is, it is pretty easy to do! Cut the crust into strips and lay 1/2 of them across the pie in one direction. Then, lift up every other piece and lay a strip going the opposite direction. If you are a visual learner like me, it may be helpful to just watch a video how to do it. Stella Parks from Serious Eats has a great video tutorial to make an easy latticed crust (linked here).
Tip #6
After trimming the rim of your pie crust, use a fork to crimp the edges, and make sure you save those trimmings!
Tip #7
Before throwing it in the oven, add an egg wash made up of eggs and cream to give your pie a shiny, golden brown look. This isn’t going to have an impact on the flavor of the crust, but it will make your pie look even more appetizing.
Tip #8
Make sure your cook your pie until the temperature of the filling reaches 213 degrees. If you take it out too soon, you may end up with a soupy pie filling.
Tip #9
In another attempt to get the right filling consistency, let your pie sit on the counter for a couple of hours before cutting into it. This will let the filling continue to thicken into the jammy consistency that makes fruit pies so delicious.
Tip #10
Remember those pie trimmings you saved? Use them to make pie crust cookies! Just cut up the scraps, sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar, and put them in the oven until they are golden brown (about 10 minutes). These little cookies are absolutely addicting and a nice appetizer for the amazing pie to come.
There you have it! 10 tips for baking an absolutely incredible pie every time. Special thanks to my brother for sharing all of his pie baking wisdom and being a very patient teacher. Love you Ryan!
