Perfect Peach Pie
After a few additional years of testing, this is now a perfected peach pie recipe. As the pie bakes, expect a messy, bubbly, and juicy filling. As the pie cools, the filling sets into a soft, yet sliceable filling. For best success, follow all of my tips above and watch the video tutorial below.
Prep: 3h
Total: 7h
Yield: 8
Ingredients:
- Homemade Pie Crust or All Butter Pie Crust (both recipes make 2 crusts, 1 for bottom and 1 for top)
- 3 pounds (1.4kg) peaches (about 8–9 medium)*
- 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (63g) all-purpose flour OR 1/4 cup instant tapioca
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1–2 teaspoons peeled minced fresh ginger, optional
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons (30g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk
- optional: coarse sugar for sprinkling on crust
Instruction:
- Prepare either pie crust recipe through step 5.
- Peel the peaches and then cut into 1-inch chunks. You need about 8 cups of peach chunks, which is around 1.4kg. You can peel and cut the peaches up to 1–2 days ahead of time. Cover and refrigerate until ready to make the filling.
- In a large bowl, stir the peach chunks, granulated sugar, flour, lemon juice, ginger, and cinnamon together until thoroughly combined. Set filling in the refrigerator while you roll out the dough. No need to cover it.
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat to 425°F (218°C). Place baking sheet on the bottom oven rack to catch any peach juices.
- On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough (keep the other one in the refrigerator). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9×2-inch round pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. Pour and spread filling evenly into pie dish. Dot the pieces of butter on top of the filling. Set aside at room temperature or in the refrigerator as you assemble the top pie crust.
- Remove the other disc of chilled pie dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough into a circle that is 12 inches diameter. Using a pastry wheel, sharp knife, or pizza cutter, cut strips of dough; in the pictured pie, I cut 6 2-inch-wide strips. Carefully thread the strips over and under one another, pulling back strips as necessary to weave. (Here’s a lattice pie crust tutorial if you need visuals.) To seal the edges, use a small paring knife or kitchen shears to trim excess dough that extends more than 1.5–2 inches over the edge. Fold bottom pie dough edges back over and press/meld into the lattice edges to form a smooth, neat rim. Flute or crimp the edges with a fork.
- Lightly brush the top of the pie crust with the egg wash. Sprinkle the top with coarse sugar, if using.
- Bake the pie on the center rack at 425°F for 20 minutes; then, keeping the pie in the oven, reduce the oven temperature down to 375° (190°C). Place a pie crust shield (see Note for homemade shield) on the edges to prevent them from over-browning. Continue baking the pie until the filling’s juices are bubbling everywhere, including in the center, 45–50 more minutes. This sounds like a long time, but under-baking the pie means a soupy, paste-like filling. If you want to be precise, the internal temperature of the filling taken with an instant read thermometer should be around 200°F (93°C) when done. Tip: If needed towards the end of bake time, remove the pie crust shield and tent an entire piece of foil on top of the pie if the top looks like it’s getting too brown.
- Remove pie from the oven, place on a cooling rack, and cool for at least 4 hours before slicing and serving. Filling will be too juicy if the pie is warm when you slice it.
- Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Peach Pie
FAQ
How do you keep a peach pie from being runny?
How do you make a peach pie less runny? Make sure you use the cornstarch to create the mixture on the stove top. Also, letting the peaches sit in sugar for an hour to create that water to make the mixture helps keep the pie from being runny.
Do you leave the skin on peaches for pie?
Many bakers prefer to remove the skins from peaches when using them for pie filling, as some find the skin’s texture unpleasant and are put off by its slightly bitter flavor. If you plan to remove the skins, it is imperative that the peaches be completely ripe—if they are not, the skins will not come off easily.
What is the difference between a peach pie and a peach cobbler?
The biggest difference is that a cobbler is so easy to make (easier than pie!). While a pie is made with a bottom crust and often a top crust, the dough and the fruit filling cook together in a cobbler. Peach cobbler is best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, but it’s also delicious cold.
What peaches are best for baking pies?
Two popular varieties for pies are the Sun Haven Peach, since it resists browning and its wonderfully “peachy” flavor shines through even when cooked and Intrepid Peach, which has high marks in flavor and texture when baked – on top of coming from a hardy and disease-resistant tree.
