Dutch Peach Pie

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Fresh summer peaches just beg to be made into this amazing looking Dutch Peach Pie, which is one of the most sensational tasting pies around. While this is not a recipe that you'll make in twenty minutes, it's worth every second it takes.

Prep Time45

Cook Time1 30

Total Time2 15

Course: Dessert, Pie, Pies

Cuisine: American

Keyword: dutch peach pie, peach pie

Servings: servings

Calories: 461kcal

Author: Helen S Fletcher

Ingredients

Single Pie Crust

1 ¾ cups sifted cake flour (180 grams)
⅓ cup sifted all-purpose flour (40 grams)
¾ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces and frozen until hard
3 tablespoons shortening, like Crisco frozen and cut into pieces
2 tablespoons beaten egg
1 teaspoon lemon juice
5 tablespoons water, chilled and divided

Crumb Topping

½ cup unsalted butter, softened (114 grams, or 1 stick)
⅓ cup granulated sugar (65 grams)
⅓ cup packed dark-brown sugar (65 grams)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups cake flour (190 grams)

Peach Pie Filling

3 pounds fresh peaches (1380 grams)
1 cup sugar (200 grams)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (40 grams)
3 tablespoons minute tapioca (28 grams)
2 tablespoons white Balsamic Vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

Instructions

Single Crust

I have a post that does a deep dive into the American Pie Crust with the functions of ingredients and step by step pictures.
Cut the butter into 6 pats and cut those half. Measure the shortening in tablespoons. Freeze both of these hard.
Place both flours and the salt in the processor bowl. Pulse several times to mix. Place the frozen butter evenly over the flour and pulse until the butter is in large pieces. Add the frozen shortening and to pulse several times.
Combine the egg, lemon juice, and water. Pour in a circle over the processor contents. Pulse until it forms clumps. Pour out onto a lightly floured work surface. Push the clumps together into a ball. Knead 4 or 5 times for form a dough. Pat into a circle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in film and refrigerate a minimum of 2 hours or overnight.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out to a circle approximately 13 inches. Place in the pie pan and fit into corners. Cut the overhang an even 1 inch all the way around. Tuck the crust under and flute the edges.
Chill well. This can be made the day before and refrigerated or frozen. Thaw in the refrigerator if frozen.

Crumb Topping

Combine the butter and both sugars in a mixer. Cream until very light. Combine the salt and flour; add all at once and beat on medium just until large crumbs form. Scrape down the sides and the bottom for unincorporated flour. Mix briefly.
Do not over mix or you will end up with a really thick cohesive mixture. Store the crumbs in the refrigerator while you make the filling. This can be made a day ahead if desired. Refrigerate until needed.

Peach Pie Filling

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment.
About 20 minutes before filling the pie, combine the sugar, flour, and tapioca.
Add the balsamic vinegar and extract to the fruit. Pour the dry ingredients over the fruit and mix well.
Place the pastry shell on the lined sheet pan and pour in the filling. Cover the fruit with the crumbs. Foil the edges of the crust to prevent burning.
Bake for 45 minutes then remove the foil. This is easiest done with tongs. Continue baking for about 45 minutes more until the crust is browned and the peaches are beginning to bubble around the edges. Lightly tent with top with foil if the crumbs are browning too much.
Cool the Dutch Peach Pie before serving, although I love it slightly warm. If you make it the day ahead, just microwave the slices briefly.

Notes

The combination of instant tapioca and flour is the ideal combination for thickening most pies. It is the one we used in the majority of our deep dish pies at the bakery. It soft sets the filling while keeping it firm and upright and gives the fruit a bright, jewel like appearance when baked.
The reduced sugar intensifies the peach flavor by not masking it with sweetness. It really does make a difference.
A combination of butter is used for flavor and the shortening is used for flakiness in the pie crust.
Make sure everything if very cold or frozen hard as called for when making the pie crust. This will prevent the butter and shortening from being incorporated into the dough when processed.
Pieces of the butter and shortening should be visible in the dough. That is what makes a flaky crust. When they melt, steam is produced making layers of dough. Think laminated doughs.
When rolling out, make sure the dough is cold and lightly flour the work surface. You don't want to incorporate raw flour into the dough at this point.
Be aware that thickeners require time and temperature to activate. Fruit pies are done when the filling bubbles out of the crust thickly.
I prefer standard size glass pie plates to metal because I can see if the bottom crust is browned. There is nothing that will ruin a pie like an unbaked crust.
Pie shells can be made and frozen, well wrapped, for several months. Thaw in the refrigerator to use.
Covering the edges of a pie that requires long baking prior to putting into the oven is easier and safer than halfway through baking. This is the method we used at the bakery. Tear pieces of foil 3" to 4" inches wide. Cover just the edge and under the lip of the pie plate. About 3 pieces are used for a 9" pie pan. Halfway through baking, use tongs to remove the foil.
Storage: The pie can be served warm or at room temperature. It can be held at room temperature. The baked pie can also be frozen, well wrapped for several months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Freshen by placing the pie back in the pie pan if frozen without it. Place it in a 350°F oven. Tent the top with foil and heat for 20 to 25 minutes.

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