Blueberry Crumble Pie

Name: Blueberry Crumble Pie
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1.25 cup unbleached all-purpose flour plus more for surface; 0.5 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes; 0.5 tsp kosher salt; 0.67 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar; 2.5 tbsp cornstarch; 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 5 cup fresh blueberries; 0.75 cup unbleached all-purpose flour; 3 tbsp light brown sugar; 0.5 tsp cinnamon; 0.25 tsp salt; 5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly; 1 A 9"-9 1/2"-diameter glass or metal pie dish; 1 pie weights or dried beans to bake the crust.

From the kitchen of Carly

Buttery pie crust gives way to a heap of bright, tart blueberries thickened with lemon and cornstarch. The crumble topping, studded with cinnamon and brown sugar, shatters between your teeth. A proper summer dessert that tastes like it took hours.

Fresh blueberries and lemon is the classic pairing, but the real secret here is the crumble topping, which stays crisp even after hours next to a juicy filling. The butter biscuit crust is worth the lamination step: that forward smear distributes fat evenly so you get tender, flaky layers without a food processor meltdown.

Prep: n/a
Cook: n/a
Total: n/a
Servings: 4
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

4 servings

1 1/4 cupunbleached all-purpose flour plus more for surface
1/2 cupchilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 tspkosher salt
2/3 cupplus 3 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 tbspcornstarch
1 tspfinely grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
5 cupfresh blueberries
3/4 cupunbleached all-purpose flour
3 tbsplight brown sugar
1/2 tspcinnamon
1/4 tspsalt
5 tbspunsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly
1A 9"-9 1/2"-diameter glass or metal pie dish
1pie weights or dried beans to bake the crust.

Instructions

Combine 1 1/4 cups flour, the butter cubes, and salt in a food processor and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal with a few pea-size chunks still visible. Drizzle in 3 tablespoons of ice water and pulse again until moist clumps begin to form, adding more water by the teaspoonful if things look too dry. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 4 equal pieces. Working one piece at a time, use the heel of your hand to smear each portion twice in a forward motion, which distributes the butter for a flaky crust. Gather all 4 pieces back into a ball, flatten it into a disk, wrap it tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a 13-inch round. Lay it into the pie dish, pressing it gently onto the bottom and up the sides. Fold the overhang underneath itself and crimp the edges however you like. Pierce the bottom of the crust all over with a fork, then chill it until firm, about 30 minutes.
Line a large baking sheet with foil and set it on the middle rack while you preheat the oven to 375°F. Lay parchment paper or foil over the chilled crust and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the crust is set, about 20 minutes. Carefully lift out the parchment and weights, then return the crust to the oven and bake until it turns pale golden, about 12 minutes more. Move the crust to a wire rack and let it cool completely.
In a large bowl, whisk together 2/3 cup of sugar, the cornstarch, and the lemon zest. Add the blueberries and lemon juice and fold everything together gently so the berries are evenly coated. Let the filling sit, tossing occasionally, until the berries release their juices, 20 to 30 minutes.
Whisk the flour, remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar, light brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl. Pour in the melted butter and work the mixture with your fingertips until a crumbly, clumping topping forms.
Heat the oven to 375°F. Spoon the blueberry filling into the cooled crust and scatter the crumble topping evenly over the surface. Bake until the filling is bubbling at the edges and the topping is deep golden, about 1 hour 15 minutes. If the top is browning too fast, tent it loosely with foil after the first 30 minutes.
Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let it cool fully before slicing.
The dough can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept refrigerated. The finished pie can be baked up to 8 hours ahead and left to stand at room temperature until ready to serve.

Tips from the kitchen

Laminating the dough with the heel-of-hand smear distributes butter more evenly than cutting it in. Do it twice per piece and you'll get better flake without overworking the gluten.
Let the blueberries sit with sugar and cornstarch for the full 20 to 30 minutes. That's when they release their own juice, which thickens as it cooks and gives you a filling that doesn't run all over the plate.
Toast the crumble topping on a separate baking sheet at the same temperature while the pie bakes, then scatter it over the filled crust in the last 10 minutes. It stays crunchy instead of soaking up steam from the filling.

Variations

Blackberry and sage: swap blackberries for half the blueberries and add 4 or 5 fresh sage leaves torn into the filling.
Blueberry and cardamom: replace cinnamon with cardamom in the crumble and add a pinch to the filling as well.
Double crust: skip the crumble and cover with a second rolled crust before baking. Brush with egg wash and bake at 375°F for 45 to 50 minutes until golden.

Make ahead and storage

Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. Wrap loosely in foil. Reheat briefly at 325°F if you want the crust crisp again, or eat it straight from the cold. Do not freeze.