Recipe Book Grocery List

Perfect Peach Pie

Desserts 150 min

Adapted from NYT Cooking (Sam Sifton)

Ingredients

Pie dough

  • 2 1/2 cup 300 g all-purpose flour
  • 12 tbsp 169 g cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) cubes
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 egg yolk, beaten
  • 1 tsp 5 ml cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup 60 ml ice water (from 3/4 cup / 180 ml of ice water)

Filling

  • 5 cup 750 g ripe peaches (6 or 7), peeled and sliced, about 5 cups
  • 2 tbsp 30 ml lemon juice
  • 1 cup 200 g granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup 30 g all-purpose flour
  • a pinch ground nutmeg

To finish

  • 1 egg white, beaten
  • a pinch granulated sugar

Method

  1. Make the pie dough. Using your fingertips or the pulse function of a food processor, blend together the flour, butter, and salt until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with pebbles of butter throughout.
  2. Add the egg yolk and vinegar to the 1/4 cup ice water and stir to combine. Drizzle 4 tablespoons of this mixture over the dough and gently stir or pulse to combine. Gather a golf-ball-size bit of dough and squeeze; if it does not hold together, add a little more of the liquid, stir or pulse, and check again. Repeat as necessary.
  3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gather it into a rough ball. Divide the ball in half with a knife or pastry scraper, then divide each portion in half again, and again, to make 8 portions. Using the heel of your hand, flatten each portion once or twice to expand the pebbles of butter, then gather the dough together again into one ball. Divide this ball in half.
  4. Flatten each ball into a 12–15 cm (5- or 6-inch) disc, one slightly larger than the other. Wrap the discs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 60 minutes.
  5. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Make the filling by gently mixing the sliced peaches, lemon juice, sugar, and flour in a large bowl. Set aside.
  6. Take the larger pastry disc out of the refrigerator, roll it out on a lightly floured surface, and place it in a 23 cm (9-inch) pie plate. Add the peaches and sprinkle them with the nutmeg.
  7. Roll out the second disc and place it on top of the filling. Wet the edges of the bottom pastry with cold water. Trim the pastry, pinch the top and bottom edges together, and cut a few slits to let steam escape. Brush the egg white on top, especially around the edges, and sprinkle with a pinch of granulated sugar.
  8. Bake the pie for 15 minutes at 220°C (425°F).
  9. Reduce the heat to 190°C (375°F) and bake until the peaches bubble and the pastry is golden, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Notes