Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Double Pie Crust
- 315 g all-purpose flour
- 225 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 15 g granulated sugar
- 5 g salt
- 90 ml ice water
Strawberry Rhubarb Filling
- 400 g strawberries, hulled and halved
- 400 g rhubarb, cut into 1cm thick pieces
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 40 g cornstarch
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 2 g salt
Egg Wash and Finish
- 1 egg
- 15 ml whole milk
- 15 g demerara sugar
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 514 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 70 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 32 g
- Sodium
- 357 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 15 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 84 mg
- Potassium
- 284 mg
- Calcium
- 70 mg
- Iron
- 0.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 23 mg
- Phosphorus
- 83 mg
- Zinc
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 206 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 34 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 18 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.07 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.09 mg
- Niacin
- 0.9 mg
- Folate
- 30 mcg
- Water
- 122 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt for the crust.
Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Use a pastry blender or your fingertips to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some larger, pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.
Drizzle 60ml of the ice water over the flour and butter mixture. Gently mix with a fork or your hands until the dough just begins to clump together, adding the remaining 30ml of ice water only if the dough is too dry to hold together.
Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a flat disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Place a baking sheet on the lowest rack to catch any potential drips.
In a large bowl, combine the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt. Toss thoroughly until the fruit is evenly coated and no dry pockets of cornstarch remain.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the chilled dough discs to a 30cm circle. Carefully transfer it to the 23cm pie dish, pressing it gently into the bottom and up the sides.
Pour the strawberry rhubarb filling and any accumulated juices into the prepared bottom crust, spreading it into an even layer.
Roll out the second dough disc to a 30cm circle. Drape it over the fruit filling. Trim the overhang, fold the edges under, and crimp to seal the pie. Cut several small slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Lightly brush this egg wash over the entire top crust and edges, then sprinkle evenly with demerara sugar.
Bake on the lower rack for 20 minutes at 200°C (400°F), then reduce the oven temperature to 190°C (375°F) without opening the door. Continue baking for 40 to 45 minutes until the crust is deeply golden brown and the filling is thick and bubbling vigorously through the vents.
Transfer the baked pie to a wire cooling rack. Allow it to cool completely for at least 2 to 3 hours before slicing.
Chef's Notes
- Temperature is the key to a flaky crust. If your kitchen is very warm, place your flour and mixing bowl in the freezer for 15 minutes before starting.
- Do not reduce the sugar in this recipe. Rhubarb is exceptionally tart and acidic, and the specific ratio of sugar to fruit is necessary to balance the flavors and ensure the pectin and starch can properly thicken the juices.
- For the cleanest slices, wait until the pie is completely cool, then chill it in the refrigerator for an hour right before serving. You can bring individual slices back up to room temperature.
- If you prefer a lattice crust, ensure your dough strips are kept cold in the refrigerator while you weave them to prevent stretching and breaking.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Cover loosely with foil or plastic wrap once fully cooled.
Freezer: 3 months — Wrap tightly in multiple layers of plastic wrap and foil. Can be frozen unbaked or fully baked.
Reheating: Warm individual slices in a 175C oven for 10-15 minutes to recrisp the crust.
Troubleshooting
Runny or soupy filling
Cause: The pie was cut before it was completely cool, or it was not baked long enough for the cornstarch to reach full gelatinization temperature.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once cut, but serving over ice cream in bowls embraces the texture.
Prevention: Ensure the filling is visibly bubbling through the top vents before removing from the oven, and cool the pie completely for at least 3 hours.
Soggy bottom crust
Cause: Oven temperature was too low or the pie was baked too high up in the oven.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Bake on the lowest oven rack or directly on a preheated pizza stone or baking sheet.
Tough pastry crust
Cause: Overworking the dough, not keeping the ingredients cold enough, or adding too much water.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Handle the dough as little as possible, use ice water, and ensure butter remains solid and cold throughout the prep phase.
Cultural Context
Strawberry rhubarb pie is a quintessential North American spring dessert, celebrating the very first harvests of the season. The combination emerged prominently in the 19th century when refined sugar became widely affordable, allowing home bakers to beautifully balance the intense, astringent bite of early spring rhubarb with the sweet, floral notes of early strawberries.
