Blueberry pie comes in many varieties. Some people add lavender, some people like it jammy, some people (me) like it juicy. I’ve started to be a pie purist – I want the summer fruit to shine through because it feels so fleeting.
Last year, I posted a blueberry pie recipe and when revisiting it this year, I revamped it to let the berries shine. I toned down the spice profile and also added a few blackberries for some varying texture (and because they’re delicious).
After trying the pie post-tweaks…. I’ve gotta say I think it’s one of the best pies I’ve made all summer. No lie. You simply cannot beat a juicy, deliciously simple blueberry pie. I hope you’re all taking advantage of whatever berries you can find!
Crust Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 cup butter (straight from the fridge, cut into 1 inch pieces)
- 1 cup cold water
- 1/4 cup vinegar (I use cider vinegar, mix it in the water)
Filling Ingredients
- 4 cups wild blueberries
- 1/2 cup blackberries
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp packed brown sugar
- 3 tbsp ground arrowroot
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of allspice
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- Raw sugar, for sprinkling
- Egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 tsp water)
Steps
To make the crust, mix together flour, sugar and salt. Using a pastry blender, “cut” in the butter. This means you’re almost mashing the butter into the flour with the blender, ensuring all butter is covered in flour until the butter pieces are about the size of peas or a bit bigger.
Then, splash in a bit of your water mixture (2-3 tablespoons) and mix it around with your hand. Continue to add a little at a time and mix and squish with your hand until a large dough ball forms. If you need to get a bit more binding, add a bit of water to your fingers to help it along. Don’t feel compelled to use all the water, mix it in until just combined and the dough is holding together. Cut the dough ball into two halves and flatten into disks. Wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Remove from fridge and let sit for 5-10 minutes so the dough doesn’t crack. Roll out each disk on a floured surface until about 1/4 inch thick (it will be about 12-13 inches in diameter).
Fold the rolled out crust in half and set into a buttered 9 inch pie pan. Unfold gently and settle the bottom of the crust into the corners. Refrigerate while making filling.
Roll out the other dough disk into an 11×14 rectangle. Cut 3 strips about one inch in diameter and set aside (this will be your braided rim) and cut the remaining dough into 16 even strips (This will be your lattice). For the 3 one inch strips, cut each into 3 even strips and braid each one. Place strips and braids in fridge.
To make the filling, mix berries with lemon juice and sugar, stirring gently together. Add arrowroot starch, spices and salt and stir gently to combine.
Remove pie shell from fridge and sprinkle 1 tsp each of flour and sugar on the bottom to keep the crust from getting soggy (this is an important step for juicy fillings like this). Scoop in filling with a slotted spoon.
Take the lattice strips out of the fridge and arrange 8 of them horizontally. Peel back every other strip and place a strip vertically close to the middle, on top of the strips not peeled back. Put the peeled strips back down, and repeat peeling back and placing a vertical strip with the other strips (alternating which 4 are peeled back) until you reach the end of the pie, then repeat on the other side. It will look like the photo below.
Slice off excess dough around the edge of the pie with a paring knife and seal the lattice strips all the way around with a fork. Set the braids on top of the pie edge, gently pressing them down to seal them in place.
Place the pie in the fridge for 10 minutes and preheat the oven to 425F.
Remove pie from fridge and brush with egg wash and sprinkle with raw sugar to your liking. The egg wash ensures the pie is nicely browned.
Place the pie on a baking sheet on the bottom oven rack and bake for 20 minutes until the pie crust is starting to set and brown. Reduce the oven heat to 375F and bake for 30-35 minutes until the crust has browned and juices are bubbling throughout the pie. Let cool for 2-3 hours and enjoy!
Pie Girl Bakes 