Equipment
Ingredients
Pastry
- 290 g all-purpose flour, chilled
- 45 g granulated sugar
- 6 g kosher salt
- 225 g unsalted butter, cold, cubed
- 125 ml ice water
Filling
- 290 g fresh rhubarb, cut into 1.5cm pieces
- 600 g blueberries
- 110 g maple syrup
- 1 g fine sea salt
- 45 g cornstarch
- 60 g crystallized ginger, finely chopped
Finish
- 1 egg, beaten
- 45 g sanding sugar
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 59 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 24 g
- Sodium
- 295 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 12 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 67 mg
- Potassium
- 221 mg
- Calcium
- 71 mg
- Iron
- 1.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 19 mg
- Phosphorus
- 68 mg
- Zinc
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 167 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 8 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 22 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.27 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.37 mg
- Niacin
- 2.1 mg
- Folate
- 62 mcg
- Water
- 104 g
- Caffeine
- 0 mg
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Pulse the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse sand with some pea-sized butter chunks.
Add 80ml of ice water and pulse until the dough is crumbly but holds together when pressed. Add more water, 15ml at a time, if the dough is too dry.
Divide the dough into two portions, making one slightly larger than the other. Wrap each in plastic wrap, flatten into rectangles, and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Combine rhubarb, 400g of blueberries, maple syrup, and salt in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes until the fruit softens and releases juice.
In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch with 30ml of the hot liquid from the pan. Stir this slurry back into the saucepan and cook for 2 minutes until the mixture thickens.
Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 200g of blueberries and the chopped ginger. Cool the filling completely at room temperature.
Roll the larger dough portion on parchment paper into a 28x33cm rectangle and place it on a baking sheet. Roll the smaller portion into an 18x38cm rectangle and cut into seven 2.5cm strips.
Spread the cooled filling over the large rectangle, leaving a 2.5cm border. Lay strips diagonally over the fruit, fold the border edges over the strips, and freeze the assembled pie for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Brush the dough with beaten egg and sprinkle with sanding sugar.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes at 200°C (400°F) until the crust is dark golden and the filling bubbles. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before serving.
Chef's Notes
- For an extra flaky crust, ensure your butter and water are very cold. Don't overwork the dough; pulsing in a food processor helps maintain those crucial butter pieces.
- The key to a well-set filling is the cornstarch slurry. Make sure to cook it for the full two minutes to activate the starch's thickening power.
- Cooling the filling completely before assembling the pie prevents a soggy bottom crust. This also allows the flavors to meld.
- Freezing the assembled pie before baking helps the pastry hold its shape and prevents the filling from leaking excessively during baking.
- Baking at a higher initial temperature (400°F/200°C) helps set the crust quickly, while a slight reduction in temperature might be needed for very dark crusts to prevent burning before the filling is fully cooked.
Storage
Refrigerator: PT4D — Store in an airtight container.
Freezer: 1 month — Wrap tightly in foil and plastic wrap.
Reheating: Warm in a 150°C (300°F) oven for 10-15 minutes to crisp the crust.
Troubleshooting
Soggy bottom crust
Cause: Filling was too warm when added to the dough or not thickened enough.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once baked; ensure the oven is fully preheated to set the bottom crust quickly.
Prevention: Ensure the fruit mixture is completely cold before assembly.
Pastry strips breaking during assembly
Cause: Dough is too cold and brittle.
Fix: Press the broken pieces back together with a drop of water.
Prevention: Let the rolled strips sit at room temperature for 2-3 minutes if they are snapping.
Cultural Context
Blueberry-rhubarb pie is a classic American dessert, particularly popular in regions where both fruits are abundant, like the Northeast and Midwest. The combination of tart rhubarb and sweet blueberries is a quintessential taste of summer, often enjoyed at picnics, family gatherings, and holidays.
