Simply the Best Blueberry Pie - National Blueberry Pie Day

National Blueberry Pie Day - April 28th

Get ready to celebrate National Blueberry Pie Day on April 28th in the most delicious way with this Simply the Best Blueberry Pie recipe. There's no better way to honor this whimsical holiday than firing up your Summerset Outdoor Oven and baking this colorful, flavorful dessert while soaking up the warm sunshine and fresh air outdoors.

As soon as you smell the sweet aroma of our blueberry pie baking in the oven, your taste buds will start dancing with excitement. As the pie cools, the filling transforms into a thick and luscious jam-like consistency, making it even easier to slice and serve your family and friends. With your first bite, you'll first notice the warm, gooey filling bursting with plump blueberries, creating a messy and bubbly masterpiece. It's like a party in your mouth with every bite. Experience the perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors with each bite.

For a truly out-of-this-world summer dessert experience, pair each slice with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream. The contrast of warm and cold, sweet and tangy, will take your taste buds on a nostalgic and comforting journey.

Celebrate National Blueberry Pie Day with a blueberry pie made with the freshest ingredients in the best outdoor oven from Summerset. What an opportunity to indulge in the perfect combination of outdoor cooking and irresistible dessert. Happy National Blueberry Pie Day, April 28, 2024!

Serves 3-4

Simply the Best Blueberry Pie Ingredients

  • Homemade Pie Crust (recipe makes 2 crusts, 1 for the bottom and 1 for the top)
  • 6 cups (3 pints; about 860g) fresh blueberries*
  • 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar*
  • 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tablespoons (14g) cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 Tablespoons (30ml) lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 Tablespoon (14g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk
  • optional: coarse sugar for sprinkling on the crust

Homemade Pie Crust

  • 2 and 1/2 cups (315g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for shaping and rolling
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
  • 2/3 cup (130g) vegetable shortening, chilled
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) ice cold water

Simply the Best Blueberry Pie Directions

  1. The crust: Prepare either pie crust recipe through step 5.
  2. Make the filling: Stir the blueberries, sugar, flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, lemon juice, and lemon zest together in a large bowl. Mix together until it's no longer dry and powdery; burst a few blueberries if necessary to moisten. Set filling aside as the oven preheats. The filling can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours if needed.
  3. Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat to 425°F (218°C). Place the baking sheet on the bottom oven rack to catch any blueberry juices.
  4. Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough (keep the other one in the refrigerator). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch round pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. Pour and spread the filling evenly into the pie dish. Dot the pieces of butter on top of the filling. Set aside at room temperature or in the refrigerator as you assemble the top pie crust.
  5. Arrange the lattice: Remove the other disc of chilled pie dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough into a circle that is 12 inches in diameter. Using a pastry wheel, sharp knife, or pizza cutter, cut strips of dough; in the pictured pie, I cut ten 1-inch-wide strips. Carefully thread the strips over and under one another, pulling back strips as necessary to weave. (Here's a lattice pie crust tutorial if you need visuals.) Press the edges of the strips into the bottom pie crust edges to seal. Use a small paring knife to trim off excess dough. Flute or crimp the pie crust edges with a fork.
  6. Lightly brush the top of the pie crust with the egg wash. If using coarse sugar, sprinkle the top.
  7. Bake the pie at 425°F for 25 minutes; then, keeping the pie in the oven, reduce the oven temperature down to 375°F (190°C). Place a pie crust shield (see Note for homemade shield) on the edges to prevent them from over-browning. Continue baking the pie until the filling's juices are bubbling everywhere, including in the center, for 40–50 more minutes. This sounds like a long time, but under-baking the pie means a soupy filling with paste-like flour and cornstarch chunks. If you want to be precise, the internal temperature of the filling taken with an instant read thermometer should be around 200°F (93°C) when done. Tip: If needed towards the end of bake time, remove the pie crust shield and tent an entire piece of foil on top of the pie if the top looks like it’s getting too brown.
  8. Remove the pie from the oven, place it on a cooling rack, and cool for at least 4 hours before slicing and serving. The filling will be too juicy if the pie is warm when you slice it.
  9. Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Homemade Pie Crust

  1. Whisk the flour and salt together in a large bowl.
  2. Add the butter and shortening. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter and shortening into the mixture until it resembles a coarse meal (pea-sized bits with a few larger bits of fat are OK). In this step, you're only breaking up the cold fat into tiny, little flour-coated pieces; you're not entirely incorporating it. Do not overwork the ingredients.
  3. Measure 1/2 cup (120ml) of water in a cup. Add ice. Stir it around. From that, measure 1/2 cup (120ml) of water since the ice has melted a bit. Drizzle the cold water in 1 Tablespoon (15ml) at a time, and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon after every Tablespoon has been added. Stop adding water when the dough begins to form large clumps. I always use about 1/2 cup of water and need a little more in dry winter months. Do not add any more water than you need.
  4. Transfer the pie dough to a floured work surface. Using floured hands, fold the dough into itself until the flour is fully incorporated into the fats. The dough should come together easily and should not feel overly sticky. Avoid overworking the dough. If it feels too dry or crumbly, dip your fingers in the ice water and continue bringing the dough together with your hands. If it feels too sticky, sprinkle on more flour and continue bringing the dough together with your hands. Form it into a ball. Use a sharp knife to cut it in half. If it's helpful, you should have about 1 lb, 8 ounces of dough total (about 680g). Gently flatten each half into 1-inch-thick discs using your hands.
  5. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 5 days.
  6. After the dough has chilled for at least 2 hours, you can roll it out. Work with one crust at a time, keeping the other in the refrigerator until you’re ready to roll it out. Lightly flour the work surface, rolling pin, and your hands, and sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough. Use gentle-medium force with your rolling pin on the dough—don't press down too hard on the dough; you're not mad at it! When rolling dough out, start from the center and work your way out in all directions, turning the dough with your hands as you go. Between passes of the rolling pin, rotate the pie crust and even flip it to make sure it's not sticking to your work surface. Sprinkle on a little more flour if it's sticking; don't be afraid to use a little more flour. If you notice the dough becoming a lopsided circle as you roll it out, put down the rolling pin and use your hands to help mold the dough back into an even circle. Roll the dough into a very thin 12-inch circle, the perfect size for a 9-inch pie dish. Your pie dough will be about 1/8 inch thick, which is quite thin. Visible specks of butter and fat in the dough are perfectly normal and expected.
  7. Because your dough is so thin, use your rolling pin to help transfer the pie crust to the pie dish. Carefully roll one end of the circle of dough gently onto the rolling pin, rolling it back towards you, slowly peeling it off the work surface as you go. Pick it up and carefully roll it back out over the top of the pie dish. It's helpful to watch how I do it in the video below.
  8. Proceed with the pie according to your recipe's instructions. If your dough requires par-baking, see the helpful How to Par-Bake Pie Crust tutorial.

 

Taken from sallysbakingaddiction.com  https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/best-blueberry-pie