Ingredients
Crust
1 3/4 cups Mellow Pastry Blend or 1 2/3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon dried buttermilk powder (optional)
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
FILLING
2 cups fresh or frozen berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc.)
2 to 3 peaches, peeled and sliced
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup Pie Filling Enhancer or unbleached all-purpose flour
Instructions
CRUST: Whisk together the dry ingredients, and cut in the vegetable shortening and butter. Whisk the egg and water together, then sprinkle over the flour. Knead together, adding a bit of extra water to make the dough cohesive, if necessary. Form the dough into a disk, wrap it well, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
FILLING: Toss the berries and peaches with the sugar and enhancer or flour. If the berries are frozen, don’t thaw them. If they’re dry (like blueberries), run them under water first; this makes it easier to combine them thoroughly with the sugar/thickener mixture.
ASSEMBLY: Roll the crust into a 13- to 14-inch round, and transfer it to a pie pan, pizza pan, or baking sheet. Mound the sugared fruit in the center of the crust, leaving about a 3 1/2-inch margin of bare crust all the way around. Fold the crust up over the fruit, pinching or pleating as you go, leaving 5 inches or so of fruit exposed in the center. Note: a giant spatula or just plain spatula or turner helps here. Brush the crust with milk or water and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.
BAKING: Bake the pie in a preheated 425�F oven for about 35 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the edges of the crust are brown. Remove it from the oven, and cool for 15 to 30 minutes before cutting into wedges. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.
