While I was blessed with genes for good hair, height didn’t come with the package, so using public transit during rush hour generally means my face is crushed against someone else’s armpit while I strain to clutch the overhead handles for dear life. Imagine my delight when I boarded the train one evening and there were open seats everywhere! My one-hour commute was splendidly peaceful and then . . . eerily silent. Only then did I realize that the train had stopped, no one else was around, and it was dark out. After I frantically pushed the “open” button on the doors to no avail and banged on the windows for a few minutes, the conductor walked by and thankfully released me. In my haste, I had taken the wrong metro and completely missed the last stop. I’d narrowly avoided being trapped overnight on a train, and I swore I’d never be caught unawares again. Ten minutes later, I had to flag down a taxi to get home because I’d lost my metro card on the train. Choo choo, hot mess coming through!
Everyone has a tendency to get distracted once in a while, not unlike a certain someone we know, ahem. This design couldn’t be better suited to the occasional scatterbrain. The weaving pattern is a simple “every other,” and with a quick few scoops of fruit, you’ll be on the fast track to success no matter where your mind has wandered.
1 disk Basic Pie Dough
2 disks Beet Pie Dough
GINGER PEACH MANGO FILLING
3 cups ½-inch-diced fresh ripe mango (about 1 pound/454 grams)
1½ pounds (680 grams) ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 3½ cups)
1 cup (198 grams) granulated sugar
¼ cup (28 grams) tapioca starch
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
CHAINLINK WEAVE DESIGN NEEDS
Parchment paper
Ruler
Rolling pastry wheel
Paring knife
1. On a floured surface, roll the disk of basic dough into a 12 × 14-inch rectangle. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and unfurl it onto a sheet of parchment paper. Using a ruler as a straight edge and a rolling pastry wheel, cut the rectangle widthwise into ¼-inch strips. Slide a flat baking sheet under the parchment and place the dough in the refrigerator to keep cold while proceeding with the design process.
2. Roll 1 disk of beet dough into a 13-inch square. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and unfurl it onto a sheet of parchment paper. Using a ruler as a straight edge and a rolling pastry wheel, cut the square into ¼-inch strips. Slide a flat baking sheet under the parchment and place the dough in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes to chill before proceeding.
3. Lay a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface and remove the dough strips from the refrigerator. Place 3 vertical white strips side by side on the sheet of parchment paper. Then place 3 beet dough strips. Alternate between white and magenta sections, laying down 3 strips at a time, until you have four white columns and three magenta columns.
4. Starting from the left, gently fold back the first white strip. Continue folding back every other strip.
5. Lay a perpendicular white strip across the center and unfold all the vertical strips.
6. Fold back all the previously unfolded vertical strips and lay down a magenta strip, nestling it as close to the horizontal white strip as possible. Unfold all the vertical strips.
7. Continue folding back every other strip, and laying horizontal strips, alternating between white and magenta, until you come to the end of the vertical strips.
8. Rotate the parchment paper 180 degrees and continue the process of folding back vertical strips and laying horizontal strips, alternating colors. (If your dough becomes warm and melty at any point, you can slide a baking sheet under the parchment and pop the whole operation into the refrigerator for 5 minutes to chill.)
9. Once you’ve completed the full weave, slide a flat baking sheet under the parchment and freeze the pie top for at least 30 minutes or until it can be easily lifted as one piece. Once the pie top has frozen solid, it can be wrapped well and used to top a pie at a later time. A well-sealed pie top will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Handle frozen pie tops gently, as they can shatter.
10. While the weave freezes, roll the remaining disk of beet dough into a 14-inch circle. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and unfurl it over a 9-inch pie pan. Taking the edges of the dough, gently ease the dough into the pan, nestling it into the inner elbows of the pie pan. Trim the excess dough with kitchen shears to create a 1-inch overhang. Fold the overhang back under, creating an elevated edge.
11. To prepare the ginger peach mango filling, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and gently fold with a spatula to coat the fruit.
12. Pour the filling into the pie shell. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush water around the edge of the pie.
13. Remove the frozen weave from the freezer, pick it up as one solid piece, and lay it centered on the surface of your filled pie. Let it sit for a few minutes to thaw slightly and settle. Press to seal the edges, and run a paring knife around the edge to trim the excess dough.
14. Chill the entire pie in the freezer until the oven has come to temperature. The pie can be frozen solid before baking or simply chilled through, about 20 minutes.
15. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
16. When the oven has come to temperature, place the chilled pie on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, then rotate the pie 180 degrees and lower the oven temperature to 350°F. If the edges are already brown, cover with a shield. Continue baking until the filling is bubbling rapidly and the top crust looks baked through in the center, checking every 30 minutes to rotate the pie and cover lightly with foil as necessary, 80 to 100 total minutes. (If baking from frozen, add 30 to 45 minutes to the bake time.)
17. Cool the pie completely on a rack before slicing and serving.
SUGGESTED SUBSTITUTIONS
Dough alternatives: Black Sesame, Blueberry, Butterfly Pea Flower, Cornflower, Dragon Fruit
NOTE
The trimmed dough scraps can be baked as beautiful woven pie cookies, or gently pressed into a disk, wrapped, chilled, and re-rolled once more into marbled dough for a pie like Caught Off Shard.