Chef notes
The trickiest part of making a slab pie is rolling out the dough to such large rectangles. With a little encouragement from baking genius Alice Mendrich's blog, I started rolling the dough between floured sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper. This made it easier to maneuver and pop in the fridge, if necessary, to keep the butter from melting. A classic slab pie is also known as a crust-lover's pie because the filling is fairly thin—it's like a giant Pop-Tart. If you'd like a thicker, juicier filling, add 2 more cups of blueberries and another tablespoon of cornstarch. And make sure to set a sheet of foil or a baking sheet on the bottom of your oven to catch any spillage.
Chef's Note: After making pie dough for several years in the food processor, I've come to prefer preparing it by hand. I feel like it gives me more control over when to stop adding the liquid. If you prefer the food processor method, by all means, go for it.
Make-Ahead Potluck Party Tip: To make this pie for an afternoon party, prepare and possibly even roll out the pie crust the night before. This way, you'll have enough time for your pie to cool. The baked pie will keep at room temperature for at least 2 days and can be refrigerated for at least 3 days. Any leftovers can be cut into individual squares, wrapped in plastic, and frozen; thaw on the counter.
Ingredients
- 1 cup ice water
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup almond meal
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 cups (1 pound; 4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and cold
- 6 small to medium peaches, pitted and chopped (about 6 cups)
- 2 cups blueberries
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 lemon, juiced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- All-purpose flour, for dusting
- 1 large egg lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw) or granulated sugar
Preparation
Prepare the dough:
In a liquid measuring cup, combine the ice water with the vinegar.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the almond meal, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and use a pastry blender or your fingers to work it into the flour until most of it is the size of peas, with a few larger chunks remaining. Mix in the vinegar mixture, by tablespoon, until the dough just starts to hold together with a few dry spots remaining (this will happen somewhere between 12 and 16 tablespoons; see Note). Transfer half the dough to a large sheet of plastic wrap and gently knead to bring in any ragged edges. Pat the dough into a rectangle, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or for up to 3 days. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Assemble and bake the pie:
Remove one piece of dough from the refrigerator and roll it out between 2 floured sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper until you have an 18 × 13-inch rectangle. If the dough starts feeling too soft as you're rolling, refrigerate it for 15 to 20 minutes until it firms up again. Fit the dough into a 15 × 10-inch baking sheet (also known as a jelly-roll pan), leaving any excess intact, and refrigerate.
In a bowl, toss the peaches with the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt.
Roll out the second piece of dough to a 16 × 11-inch rectangle. Spread the filling out in the crust-lined pan. Drape the second piece of dough on top of the filling. Roll and pinch the excess crust inward to create an edge around the pan. Use a sharp knife to cut vents all over the top crust. Refrigerate the assembled pie for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, arrange a rack in the bottom of the oven and another in the center. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Brush the top pastry with the egg wash and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.
Bake the pie on the bottom rack of the oven for about 25 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375°F and move the pie to the center rack. Bake for 30 to 35 more minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and the juices are bubbling. Let the pie cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before serving.
Reprinted from Modern Potluck: Beautiful Food to Share. Copyright © 2016 by Kristin Donnelly. Photographs copyright © 2016 by Yossy Arefi. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
