My Only Berry Pie

I did not adapt this recipe from 101 cookbooks, I followed it precisely.   If someone with Heidi's prowess claims she has a Nice Berry Pie, then I'm going to trust her. The only adaptation I made was in the name.  This is my ONLY berry pie, and I'm going to stick with it!   I make one pie a year, and that is at Thanksgiving.  It is also why I needed to add it to this blog, so I have it for my archives next year, not lost in the internet netherland of "what pie recipe did I use?" 

Heidi's results for her Nice Berry Pie?? In my kitchen it turned out to be a not overly sweet, lovely, pie, that I will probably make next Thanksgiving.  

Flaky Rye Pie Crust

75 g / v. scant 2/3 cup rye flour
175g / 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
8 oz / 1 cup salted butter
1/3 cup / 80 ml cold water or beer

My two year old daughter, Molly, and I made the crust using the old fashioned technique, not the food processed way.  We had fun, and got really messy.  Like I said, fun!

For my filling, I used raspberries and blueberries, with the ingredients as follows

Berry Pie Filling

2/3 cup / 3.5 oz / 100g natural cane or brown sugar
1/3 cup / 1.5 oz / 45 g flour (apf or wwp)
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 sprigs thyme (prefer. lemon thyme) ~ 1/2 t.
2 pounds of berries, (see head notes)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter

1 egg plus 1 tablespoon water, whisked

Large grain sugar, for sprinkling

Instructions (all Heidi's words, but slightly shorter)

Preheat your oven to 425F / 220C, with a rack in the bottom third. Roll out your pie crust - top and bottom - on a flour dusted counter - roll and turn, roll and turn, dusting with flour when necessary. Flip once or twice. Work quickly and keep the dough moving. Place between unbleached parchment paper or Silpats, and refrigerate while you make the filling. Shoot for 11 or 12-inch inch rounds.

Make the filling by combining the sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, and thyme in large mixing bowl. Add the berries, and toss gently until well combined. Set aside.

Line a 9 or 10-inch pie plate with the bottom piece of pie dough. Guide it into place without stretching. You want about an inch of dough extending past the rim of the pie plate, trim a bit with scissors or a sharp knife if needed.

Fill the crust with the berries, drizzle with lemon juice, and dot with the butter. 

Brush the rim of the bottom crust with a bit of egg wash, then top with the other piece of pie crust (I did strips, as you can see in the final product picture). Trim the top crust a bit if needed, then press the top and bottom crusts together at the edges. Working around the rim, tuck the overhanging dough under itself, and crimp with a fork or flute using your fingers (see picture up above). Brush the crust with more of the egg wash,  and place in the oven for about 45 minutes - until the crust is deeply golden. Check your pie regularly after 25 minutes. If you need to foil the edges of the pie - pull it out and do so - this way the edges wont get too dark and dry. Sprinkle with large-grain sugar about 25 minutes in - for a little extra crunch and sweetness. Let cool a bit, slice and serve.

Serves 8.