Fresh Peach Pie

Serves 8

Any fresh fruit can be substituted for the peaches in this recipe: blueberries, cherries, sliced apples, nectarines, strawberries. If you use apples, which are drier, reduce the amount of flour to 1 tablespoon but up the sugar to 1/3 cup.

For the crust:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

½ teaspoon coarse salt

1 tablespoon sugar

2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

7 to 8 tablespoons ice cold water

For the pie:

8 large ripe peaches, pitted and cut in eighths (peeled or unpeeled, your choice)

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon or ginger

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

¼ cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling

1 tablespoon cornstarch or 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon coarse salt

For the assembly:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in pieces

1 tablespoon cream

1. For the crust: Combine the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter pieces, and pulse until the butter is very small and uniform. Drizzle in 7 tablespoons of the ice water through the feed tube and process until the dough just before the dough forms a ball. Add the extra tablespoon of water if the dough still looks dry after pulsing 10-15 times. Do not overprocess. (It may take 10 to 15 seconds for the ball to form, so don’t be impatient and add more water. If you are making the dough by hand, you may need the extra ice water to help hold the dough together.)
2. Divide the dough into two balls, and wrap individually in plastic, pressing them down to make disks (for easier rolling later). Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the peaches, cinnamon, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch or flour, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
3. Preheat the oven to 375°. On a lightly dusted work surface (or between two sheets of parchment paper), roll out one of the dough disk to a 1/8-inch circle, about 13 inches wide. Line the bottom of an 8- or 9-inch pie plate with the dough, pressing it into the corners. Fold the excess dough under, forming a rim. Fill the bottom crust with the fruit filling and dot with the butter pieces.
4. Roll out the top crust to the same size and thickness as the bottom crust. Place the top crust over it, trimming the edges to ½ inch. Crimp with your fingers or a fork. Chill pie until firm, about 30 minutes. Brush the top of the pie with the cream and cut 3 or 4 decorative slits. Sprinkle with a thin layer of sugar.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350° and continue cooking until the top is golden brown and the fruit is bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes more. Let the pie sit for 20 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

NOTE: Making Pie Dough by Hand

Place the flour, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl, and stir to combine. Add the butter pieces, and using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour mixture until a coarse meal forms and the butter pieces are very small and uniform. Drizzle the ice water over the mixture and combine with your hands until the dough just holds together. Take small clumps of the dough and smear it once against your cutting board the elongate the butter strands, called “fraisage.” This will also help collect extra dry flour pieces in the bottom of your bowl and incorporate them into the pie dough.