Deep-Dish Cherry Pie
★★★★☆
MAKES
1 fatty 9-inch pie, serves 12 to 15
Ingredients
3 3/4 cups
all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon
salt
3
(12 ounces) sticks cold unsalted butter, cubed
3/4 cup
ice water, plus more as needed
4 pounds
sour or sweet cherries, pitted
1
lemon, zested and juiced
1 tablespoon
vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups
granulated sugar
3/4 cup
cornstarch
1
egg wash, as needed for finishing
1 pinch
turbinado sugar, as needed for finishing
1 splash
Heavy cream, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° F. Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- Make the pie crust: In a large bowl or in a food processor, combine the flour and salt. Add the butter and toss to coat. Cut the butter into the flour with your hands or a pastry cutter (or pulse it in the food processor) until the butter resembles the size of walnut halves. (For more on mixing pie dough, check out my article here: https://food52.com/blog/10753-everything-you-need-to-know-about-pie-crust).
- Add the water and mix to combine. Add more water as needed to get the dough to come together. It should not be wet or sticky. Divide the dough—you’ll need 2/3 of the dough for the bottom crust and 1/3 for the top crust. Wrap each piece of dough and chill for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger quantity of dough to 1/3-inch thick. Transfer it to the springform and trim the edge so there is 1/2-inch overhang all around. Chill the dough inside pan for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Dock the chilled dough with a fork on the base and sides. Line the crust with parchment paper and pie weights, and bake until the crust is beginning to brown at the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and pie weights. If the base looks visibly wet or under-baked, return the crust to the oven without the pie weights for another 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
- While the pie is cooling. In a large bowl, combine the cherries, lemon zest and juice, and vanilla. In small bowl, mix the sugar and cornstarch to combine, then add to the cherry mixture. Mix until the cherries are evenly coated.
- Mound the filling into the cooled crust, pressing firmly to ensure minimal air pockets. Make a nice, rounded mound at the top.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the smaller amount of dough to 1/3-inch thick. Use a rolling pin to transfer the dough to the top of the pie.
- Trim away any excess dough, leaving 3/4 inch all the way around the edge. Nudge the edge down into the side of the springform pan so that it meets the top edge of the bottom crust. Push the crust down a bit so the excess puckers outward and creates a little lip, just like the edge of a typical pie. Press that outer lip together to seal the edges a bit, then crimp with a fork to seal.
- Egg wash the top crust evenly and sprinkle with turbinado sugar all over. Cut vents in the top of the pie.
- Transfer the pie to the prepared baking sheet and bake until the crust is very golden and the filling is bubbling through the vents, 45 to 50 minutes. If the pie is browning too much or too quickly, reduce the oven temperature to 375 and/or tent the top of the pie with foil.
- Cool the pie completely—seriously!—before slicing and serving. Unmold the outer edge of the springform pan. Slide an offset spatula around the edge of the base of the pan; if the pie is really cool and it feels solid in the middle, you’ll likely be able to pick up the pie with your hands (or a large spatula) and transfer to a platter or stand. If it feels soft in the middle, you may rather keep it on the springform base for slicing. If you’re feeling naughty, serve it with a drizzle of cold heavy cream.
