Peach Crumb Pie
Homemade flaky crust, sweet juicy filling with fresh peaches, and a buttery golden brown topping make this a fantastic dessert when peach season hits. The pie shell and crumb mixture can be made in advance so it's much easier to put together than it looks.
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
For the pie crust:
- ½ recipe all-butter pie crust I usually use this shortcrust pastry, but sometimes this flaky pie crust recipe with shortening.
For the crumble:
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- pinch of salt
- ¼ cup white granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted and warm, not hot
For the filling:
Instructions
For the pie crust:
- Have ready a 9-inch pie pan with at least 2-inch high sides. I like it with a removable bottom but you can use a nice ceramic or glass pie plate and serve it directly from it.
- Transfer the dough carefully to the pie plate, letting it slide into it and gently fitting it into the dish, not forcing or stretching it as you go. Make sure it adheres to the whole surface and crimp the edges.
- Pierce the bottom of the dough with a fork, and place the lined pan in the freezer for 20-30 minutes while the oven gets to the right temperature. This will prevent the dough from shrinking as little as possible as it bakes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). While the dough is chilling, make and refrigerate the crumble.
- Blind bake the crust: Cover it with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Add some weight (small ceramic balls, raw rice, chickpeas, lentils or even flour). Any ingredient that doesn't burn but will weigh the paper down works. Use a cheap one as you won't be able to use it after this. Bake for 15 minutes until you can remove the paper with the weight. Do this carefully to make sure you don't burn your hands and take out the whole thing at once without tearing the crust. Bake the pastry 5-10 minutes longer, until barely colored and dry. You don't have to completely bake it at this point.
For the crumble:
- Stir to combine ¾ cup all-purpose flour with a pinch of salt, ¼ cup white granulated sugar and ¼ cup brown sugar in a medium bowl.
- Add ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted, and stir with a fork until it's integrated with the dry ingredients. It will be crumbly. Put this crumbly mixture in the fridge while you make the filling.
Peach filling:
- Peel and core about 8 peaches to make 6 cups peach pieces. Cut them into 1-inch chunks or wedges. Here's how to peel fresh peaches.
- Make sure the crust is blind-baked before starting with this part. In a large bowl, gently mix the peaches with ⅓ cup brown sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Stir to coat. Sprinkle ½ cup flour over the fruit and stir with a spatula or spoon to coat thoroughly. Make sure all the flour is moistened.
- Pour the peach mixture into the pre-baked crust, distributing as best as you can. Sprinkle the peach mixture with the cold crumble, breaking up any large clumps.
- Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbly and the crumble is golden. If the crust is browning too quickly, tent with foil and continue baking.
- Cool on a wire rack until it's at room temperature. I like to refrigerate it, covered, for a few hours before serving. It's easier to cut and the filling has a chance to solidify a bit.
Notes
Crust: You can have the pie pan lined and waiting in the freezer. Blind bake it for this pie, it's important so the peach juices don't soak too much into the pie crust and make it soggy.
Peaches: they are the star, so fresh fruit is highly recommended. But you can use homemade canned peaches or a good commercial brand. Drain them well first and follow as for fresh peaches.
Crumble: refrigerate it before adding it to the pie. It will bake crisper. Brown sugar crumble: I sometimes use just brown sugar for both filling and crumble. It bakes to a more golden brown and adds a more intense caramel tone.
Make ahead: You can make the crust and keep it in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for a month, well wrapped, before rolling it. You can line the pan, wrap it with plastic wrap and freeze for a month. The crumble topping keeps in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks in an airtight container. And frozen for a month.
Flavorings: you can jazz up the filling with some grated fresh ginger, a pinch of ground cardamom or cinnamon.
