Serves 8
AT THE HEIGHT OF SUMMER, WHEN OVERFLOWING PINTS OF DUSTY-INDIGO Michigan blueberries can be found at roadside stands, in stores, and at the farmers’ market for just a couple of bucks a piece, I can’t help but load up my basket. Baking with blueberries is always a joy, and few things mark midsummer quite like a slice of blueberry pie and cream, eaten on the porch.
The blueberry pie of my dreams is a thick, sturdy slice in a buttery pastry case, a stuffing of inky gloss suspending the fruit, with a notable proportion of berries holding their shape and then bursting in the mouth like deep violet caviar. Most important, I want my blueberry pie to taste deeply of berry. Cooking down some of the berries with pure maple syrup to a jammy goo concentrates the berry flavor and plays up its earthy sweetness. Folding in more raw berries just before filling the pie creates crave-worthy texture and powerhouse blueberry flavor.
7 cups/1.05 kg fresh blueberries, divided
⅓ cup/112 g pure maple syrup
½ cup/100 g granulated sugar
6 tablespoons/48 g cornstarch
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons/28 g unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Nonstick cooking spray and unbleached all-purpose flour for pan
1 double batch My Favorite Pie Crust (here), chilled
2 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1 large egg
1 tablespoon water
Pinch of fine sea salt
In a 12-inch/30 cm skillet over high heat, combine 3 cups/450 g of the berries with the maple syrup and ¼ cup/57 g of water. Bring to a boil, stirring often with a flexible heatproof spatula, until the berries have broken down and the juice is thick and syrupy, about 10 minutes—when you pull the spatula across the pan, it should leave a clean, dry track in the berries that takes 4 or 5 seconds to run back together. Remove the skillet from the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
Position a rack to the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C. Line a 12 × 17-inch/30 × 43 cm baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray a 9-inch/23 cm glass pie plate with nonstick cooking spray and dust with flour, knocking out the excess. Place the pie plate on the prepared baking sheet.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 dough disk into a 12-inch/30 cm circle. Place the dough in prepared pie dish. In a small bowl, combine the flour and 2 teaspoons of the sugar. Scatter evenly across the bottom of the dough.
Complete preparing the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt until no lumps remain. Add the remaining fresh berries and the cooled berry mixture from the skillet. Add the butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla. Fold gently to combine. Spoon the filling into the pie shell.
Roll out the second dough disk to a 12-inch/30 cm circle. Drape the dough over the filling. Press to seal the top and bottom crust edges together. Fold the overhang under; crimp decoratively. Slice a few vents in the top crust. Freeze the pie until the top crust is firm, about 15 minutes.
In a small cup, whisk together the egg, water, and salt. Brush lightly over the top crust, and sprinkle with the remaining 4 teaspoons of sugar.
Bake the pie at 425°F/220°C for 15 minutes. Rotate the pie 180 degrees. Lower the oven temperature to 375°F/190°C, then bake for another 50 to 60 minutes, until the filling is bubbling (this is the indicator that the starch has thickened the filling!) and the crust is deeply browned. If the pie’s edges look as if they may burn at any point during the end of the baking time, simply roll the foil from the oven rack up over the pie’s edges. Allow the pie to cool completely at room temperature on a wire rack before slicing and serving, at least 3 hours.
TIP > If a pie filling contains a starch, such as cornstarch, tapioca, or flour, you must continue to bake the pie until the juices are bubbling out of any available vent, no matter what the recipe says, otherwise your filling will not set properly. If you’re getting nervous about overbrowning of the crust at any point, you can always tent with foil.