Perfect Peach Pie
Enjoying a ripe peach under the summer sun reveals the fruit at its juiciest, sweetest, and most satisfyingly messy. No melon, apricot, or blackberry can rival this experience. Yet, such perfect moments are rare for most of us, with just one or two ideal peaches in a season, despite our efforts. This is where pie steps in.A peach pie can transform good peaches into something excellent and great peaches into pure delight. Even using frozen fruit can yield a wonderful result. A touch of sugar enhances the sweetness, while a hint of lemon juice and a sprinkle of nutmeg adds depth with a hint of bitterness to balance the flavor. Top it off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for that classic diner-style à la mode perfection.
Total Time 2 hours hrs
Servings 8
Ingredients
For the Pie Dough
- 2 ½ cups or 300 grams all-purpose flour
- 12 tablespoons or 169 grams unsalted butter cold, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Yolk of 1 egg beaten
- 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
- ¼ cup water from ¾ cup ice water
- White of 1 egg beaten
- Pinch granulated sugar
For the Filling
- 6 or 7 ripe peaches peeled and sliced, approximately 5 cups
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup or 30 grams all-purpose flour
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Prepare the pie dough. Using your fingertips or a food processor's pulse function, blend the flour, butter, and salt until the mixture resembles coarse meal with visible butter pebbles.
- Combine the egg yolk and vinegar in ¼ cup of ice water, stirring to mix well. Drizzle 4 tablespoons of this mixture over the dough and gently stir or pulse until just combined. Take a small amount of dough and squeeze it; if it doesn't hold together, add more liquid gradually, stirring or pulsing between additions until the dough reaches the right consistency.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, gather it into a rough ball. Cut the ball in half with a knife or pastry scraper, then cut each portion in half again, repeating until you have 8 portions. Flatten each portion once or twice using the heel of your hand to distribute the butter pebbles, then gather the dough into a single ball again. Divide this ball in half.
- Flatten each half into a 5- or 6-inch disc, ensuring one disc is slightly larger than the other. Wrap the discs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 60 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425. Prepare the pie filling by combining sliced peaches, lemon juice, sugar, and flour in a large bowl. Gently mix everything together until well combined. Set aside.
- Remove the larger pastry disc from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll it out to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Add the prepared peach filling into the pastry-lined pie plate. Sprinkle the filling with ground nutmeg.
- Roll out the second pastry disc and carefully place it over the filling. Moisten the edges of the bottom pastry disc with cold water. Trim any excess pastry, then pinch the bottom and top edges together to seal the pie. Cut a few small slits in the top crust to vent steam during baking. Brush the beaten egg white over the top crust, focusing on the edges, and lightly sprinkle with granulated sugar.
- Bake the pie in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 375 and continue baking until the peaches are bubbling and the pastry is golden brown, which usually takes approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.