Chef notes
A strawberry-rhubarb pie is a spring classic for a reason. Rhubarb, with its pink-ish-red hue, is uniquely pretty, texturally compelling and has an unusual tart flavor. When coupled with sweet, bright red strawberries, the two beautifully complement each other. Moreover, a strawberry-rhubarb pie filling is an easy affair. Chopped rhubarb and strawberries are tossed in cornstarch with some sugar and salt.
While the filling is simple, the pie dough has a surprising ingredient: sour cream. It is used in place of the usual ice water and makes for a very tender crust. Bonus: Sour cream pie dough is less fussy than regular pie dough and is much more forgiving if you happen to over-handle it. This is especially helpful when making a lattice topped-pie.
Creating a lattice can be tricky at first, but the dough is your friend here, and our simple instructions will help you succeed, even on your first attempt. Chilling the pie for 20 minutes before baking will help set the lattice top, so don’t skip that step. Adding a couple of tablespoons of oats to the bottom of the pie crust — a tip I learned from cookbook writer Anna Olson — soaks up some of the juicy filling, ensuring your bottom crust will be crispy, not soggy.
Technique Tips: Cut the butter into fairly small cubes so that they are easier to squeeze between your fingers and rub into your dry ingredients.
When dusting your pie plate, you may need to grease it first with butter or cooking spray.
Swap Option: Use full-fat yogurt (not Greek) instead of the sour cream.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 cups sliced rhubarb
- 3 cups chopped fresh strawberries
- 2 tablespoons rolled oats, optional
- 1 large egg
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- turbinado sugar, for sprinkling
Preparation
Make the Pie Dough:
1.In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and toss it with the flour to coat. Squeeze the butter pieces between your fingers, smooshing them into the dry ingredient, until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some larger, pea-sized butter pieces scattered throughout.
2.Add the sour cream to the mixture and using a fork, stir to combine. Knead the dough in the bowl until it comes together in a large mass. Divide the dough in half.
3.Shape each half of the dough into a round disc and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
Make the Filling:
1.While the dough chills, make the filling: in a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Add the rhubarb and strawberries and toss to coat.
2.Dust a 9-inch pie plate with flour. Roll one of the chilled discs into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured work surface and carefully transfer it to the prepared pie plate. Let the excess dough drape over the edges of the plate.
3.Sprinkle the bottom of the dough with the oats, if using, then add the filling.
4.Roll the other half of the dough into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured work surface and cut it into 10 to 12 1-inch strips.
5.Drape 5 or 6 strips of dough across the pie horizontally (placing the longer strips over the center of the pie and the shorter ones on each side). Fold back every other strip halfway and place a strip across vertically at the halfway point. Fold the horizontal strips back over the vertical one, fold back every other horizontal strip and place down another strip vertically. Continue doing so until you have latticed half the pie, and then begin on the other side. Tuck the ends of the strip underneath the overhanging dough and squeeze together.
6.In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and salt. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg wash over the lattice strips, then sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.
7.Place the pie in the freezer for about 20 minutes. While the pie chills, preheat the oven to 400F.
8.Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 F. Bake for an additional 50 minutes, until the filling is bubbling in the center. Tent the pie with foil if the crust gets too brown before the filling bubbles.
9.Let the pie cool to room temperature, at least 3 to 4 hours, before slicing and serving (preferably with ice cream or whipped cream).
