Every time I open Facebook or Twitter there is another one of those quick, fun, non-scientific, the kind that appeals to your curiosity surveys to take. You know the ones, answer ten questions to find out things like which Southern city do you belong in (New Orleans), which Game of Thrones character you would be (not telling), which dessert reflects your personality (popsicle, really?), what city should you actually live in (Cape Town) and in honor of Shark week which shark you would be (does anyone really want to be a shark?). But of all of the surveys out there, I have yet to see one about which pie best reflects you. If there isn't one already out there, there is probably someone is sitting in a room somewhere creating one now. My faith in these surveys would be completely lost (not to worry, I really don't take any of these surveys seriously) if I don't get 'any pie having a rustic look to it'. For me, nothing is more visually appealing than a pie that looks homemade. And the more homemade it looks, the better. Maybe this affinity for homemade looking pies has something to do with my pie making abilities. Or maybe not.
The excitement that came with the discovery of a free form fruit slab pie recipe was on par with the exhilaration that comes from reading a great book, seeing a great movie, or listening to a great soundtrack. When I saw food blogger Yossy Arefi's creation and recipe for Blueberry and Rye Slab Pie, I was immediately smitten (as smitten as one could be with a pie that is). Yet for a brief millisecond I wondered if making one more blueberry dessert this summer was one blueberry dessert too many. One look at and one taste of the finished slab pie had me thinking of one of my favorite mantras 'there is no such thing as too much of a good thing'.
I decided to make the Blueberry and Rye Slab Pie for a family gathering my childhood best friend was having. More often than not I usually ask if there is anything I can bring when invited over for dinner. But this time I purposely didn't ask or offer as I wanted the slab pie to be an unexpected surprise (and had it not turned out, well the surprise would have been on me). Based on everyone's reaction to seeing (and tasting) it, I can say with a pretty high degree of certainty the mission was accomplished. And judging by how much of it was left, I would have to say the rustic looking slab did not disappoint.
In making the Blueberry and Rye Slab Pie, I used Yossy's dough recipe (which is actually based on a recipe created by Kim Boyce in her book 'Good to the Grain'). However, until I develop a knack for creating pie dough by hand I continue to rely on the food processor. What makes this pie dough different from most others is the use of both all-purpose and dark rye flours. Having never made a dough with rye flour before I wondered 'was it going to taste like rye bread?' (it didn't). Instead it added a great flavor and helped to create a beautiful brown baked crust.
With the flours weighed and butter mixed in, I began by adding only 8 Tablespoons of the ice cold water along with the 1 Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. It took only one additional Tablespoon of ice water for the dough to come together.
The dough should be refrigerated for at least two hours or overnight, time constraints had me chilling it for only an hour. If I would have done one thing differently it would have been be to allow the dough to sit out for about five minutes before rolling it out.
I made substantial changes to the filling recipe which turned into a hybrid of several different blueberry filling recipes. I loved how the cornstarch worked in the Blueberry and Peach Crisp, so I used it instead of all-purpose flour. Cinnamon and blueberries are one of my favorite flavor combinations and I couldn't bring myself to using ginger instead. Rather than use lemon zest only I added a generous Tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice. And lastly, I replaced the one cup of granulated sugar with equal amounts of demerara and granulated sugars. The result was a a perfectly thickened, just the right amount of sweetness filling.
In a preheated 400 degree oven the slab pie is baked for 35-45 minutes (my baking time was almost the full 45 minutes) or until the filling is bubbling and the crust is a deep golden brown. But before baking the entire slab is brushed with an egg wash and sprinkled with a white sanding sugar. Not only do sanding sugars have a coarser grain than granulated sugar, they add great sparkle to baked goods.
As hard as you might try to crimp down the edges of the crust, some of the filling will ooze out. For me that just added to the rustic beauty of this slab pie and it just seemed to scream 'I am homemade!' when served.
After making this blueberry and rye slab pie I am faced with conundrum, but not necessarily a bad one to be faced with. The next time I pick up blueberries from the market do I make a blueberry pie, blueberry and peach crisp, blueberry crisp or the blueberry and rye slab pie? Decisions, decisions.
Blueberry and Rye Slab Pie
Ingredients
Dough
9 ounces dark rye flour (recommend Bob's Red Mill Dark Rye Flour)
9 ounces all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into tablespoons
8-12 Tablespoons ice cold water
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Filling
5 cups (2 1/2 pints) fresh blueberries
1/2 cup demerara sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla paste (or vanilla extract)
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Pinch of Kosher salt
Finish
1 large egg
2 1/2-3 Tablespoons white sanding sugar (or other coarse grain sugar)
Directions
1. To make the crust: Mix the flours and salt together in the food processor. Add in butter and process until the butter is broken up into small pieces (think the size of small peas). Mix together 8 tablespoons of cold water and 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Add to flour mixture pulsing until the dough begins to form. If necessary add in additional ice water one tablespoon at a time (do not exceed 12 tablespoons). Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours or up to a day. Allow to sit out at least 5 minutes before rolling.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the blueberries, sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon, vanilla paste, lemon juice, lemon zest and Kosher salt. Set aside.
4. On a lightly floured surface roll out one piece of the dough into a rough 9 x 12 inch rectangle. Transfer to baking sheet and place in the refrigerator while rolling out second piece of dough.
5. Roll out second piece of dough into another 9 x 12 rectangle. Cut dough into generous 1 inch strips.
6. Remove dough from the refrigerator and spread blueberry mixture on top leaving at least an inch border along the edges.
7. Using the strips of dough, create a lattice top on top of the blueberry mixture. Fold up the bottom edge of the dough over the top of the lattice strips and seal by pressing firmly with a fork. Place the slab in the refrigerator or freezer until the crust is very firm.
8. Remove slab for the refrigerator or freezer, brush with a beaten egg and sprinkle generously with the sanding sugar.
9. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the crust is a deep golden brown and the filling juices are bubbling.
10. Cool slightly. Cut into squares and serve with vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream.
