Homemade Strawberry Pie

Texas has a wonderful berry season that runs late February through July.  Strawberries peak times are March and April.  It’s a great time to pick them on a berry farm or go to your local grocer.  Try  to make this wonderful homemade pie and share it with friends and family.  I found this fabulous recipe and thought I would share.

Homemade Strawberry Pie Ingredients

For the Crust:

• 2 ½ cups (300 g) all purpose flour spooned and leveled

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) unsalted butter

• ¼ cup to 1/2 cup (60 to 120 ml) ice water

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 tablespoon vinegar

For the Strawberry Filling:

• 4 cups hulled and thickly slicked strawberries

• ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar

• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch

• 1 Tablespoon orange juice

• ¼ teaspoon fresh nutmeg

• optional: 1 egg and water for egg wash

• sugar for sprinkling

Steps

1. Whisk together the flour and salt. 2 ½ cups (300 g) all purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt
2. Dice the butter into small cubes, or cut it into pats. Work it into the flour until it’s well-distributed, but not fully incorporated. Larger, pea-sized pieces of butter will be scattered throughout the mixture. I used a pastry cutter (and my hands) to accomplish this. 1 cup ( 2 sticks, 226 g) unsalted butter
3. Tossing with a fork or your fingers, drizzle in the ice water. Stop adding water when the dough starts to come together, and grab it in your hands. If it holds together easily, without crumbling, it’s ready. If it has dry spots, or pieces break off easily, add a bit more water until it’s totally cohesive. Add in your egg yolk, and vinegar, toss to combine with a fork. You may still see streaks of egg yolk. That’s perfectly fine! ¼ cup to 1/2 cup (60 to 120 ml) ice water 1 egg yolk 1 tablespoon vinegar
4. Gather the dough into a ball, and divide it in half. Gently pat/shape each half into a rough disk. Roll immediately, if desired. For better texture, chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling. If dough has been refrigerated longer than 30 minutes, allow it to warm at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes, until it rolls easily. Yield: pastry for 1 double crust pie or 2 single crust pies.
5. Roll out the bottom pie shell and form into a 9-inch pie shell. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
6. In a large bowl, combine your strawberries, sugar, cornstarch, orange juice, and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F. 4 cups hulled and thickly slicked strawberries ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar 2 Tablespoons cornstarch 1 Tablespoon orange juice ¼ teaspoon fresh nutmeg
7. Pour the filling into your chilled pie crust.
8. On a pastry mat, roll out your second disk of pie dough into a 11-inch circle. Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut 1-inch long strips. Lay 5 strips over the filling. Fold three strips (alternating) back. Lay one strip going across in the opposite direction. Fold the three strips back. Fold back the other two strips now and lay another strip across. Fold those two strips back. Repeat this process with the remaining strips. Trim and fold the edges. Brush the crust with 1 beaten egg that has been mixed with a teaspoon of water. Sprinkle with sugar.
9. Place the pie on a center oven rack and bake for 30 minutes. Place a cookie sheet underneath to catch the pie drippings. Reduce the oven temperature to 375F and rotate the pie 180 degrees. Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the top is golden brown. If the top of the crust or the edges are browning too quickly, cover with aluminum foil or a pie shield during the last 10 to 15 minutes.
10. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and allow to cool for at least 2 hours to allow the pie to firm up before serving.

Notes

• If you don’t want to make the pie dough you can buy frozen ones at the store to save time.
• Tips On Making Great Pie Dough:
  • Make sure everything is cold. I use frozen butter actually. And ice water. You could even go as far as putting your bowls, pastry cutter, and flour in the freezer if you so choose!
  • Work the dough as little as possible, leaving good sized visible chunks of butter in your dough there is no need to use shortening.
  • Don’t overwork the pie dough! Use your finger tips, not the palms of your hand when working with the pie dough. It’s ok if you still see some chunks of butter. In fact, it’s preferred!

Have you tried this recipe? How was it? Comment below, or Contact Me and let me know!

NOTE: I found this recipe here: https://southernfoodandfun.com/baked-strawberry-pie/