It’s the middle of July, peaches are at their peak, and it’s high time for White Peach Pie. For years I’ve struggled with this recipe: either it was too liquidy or to gluey; or too sweet or tart; or soggy crusted or over baked. I believe I’ve ironed out most of these kinks to produce a very appealing White Peach Pie. Now you can certainly use yellow peaches, but I believe the white ones are superior in taste and texture.
To Make the Crust
In a food processor, process the flour and salt for 1 minute. Add the lard and process for about a minute. You can use vegetable shortening, but lard provides a flakier and better product.
Mixing the flour, salt, and lard.
Cut the butter into small pieces and spread over the flour mixture. Pulse several times until butter is no larger than the size of lentils.
Pulsing in the butter.
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Sprinkle 10 tablespoons of ice water over the mixture, combining with a spatula. Try making a small portion of the dough come together in your hands. If it is still too dry, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of water. Form the dough into a ball. You want to use only the minimum amount of water needed to bring the pastry together.
Form the dough into a ball.
Divide the dough into two parts, one a little larger than the other. Flatten the larger piece into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate. Form the small piece into a flattened square, wrap, and refrigerate both for several hours, or preferably overnight. I always do overnight because I find it makes the dough easier to roll out.
Divide the dough into a disk and a square.
Remove the large disk from the refrigerator, let it stand for 4-6 minutes to soften slightly. Do not let it get too soft, or you will have a mess when rolling. Roll the dough on a floured board until it is 2-3 inches larger than your 9-inch pie pan. The secret to making certain the dough does not stick is to keep turning it frequently and being sure there is always some flour under the dough and on the rolling pin. Roll the dough around the rolling pin, then unroll onto the pie plate. (Or, if you prefer, you can fold and lift it into the pan.) Lift the edges and gently press the dough into the sides of the pan, leaving an overhang. Beat an egg with a tablespoon of water, and brush the dough with the egg wash. This helps to ensure that the crust won’t be soggy.
Brush the crust with egg wash.
Remove the square piece from the refrigerator and let it stand just till malleable. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 11 inches by 15 inches.
Roll the smaller half of the dough into a rectangle.
Transfer the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet, and cut into 1-inch strips, making at least 8 strips. I use a ravioli cutter to give the strips a more scalloped edge. However, a sharp knife will do. Freeze the strips on the sheet. Trust me, this will make the lattice work easier.
Cut into strips.
To Make the Peach Filling
This is perhaps the most problematic part of making this white peach pie. The amount of sugar you use depends completely on the sweetness of the peaches. I found that 1 cup was right, but you need to taste after you mix to be sure. Also, the amount of thickener you use depends on the juiciness of the peaches. The first time, I used 4 tablespoons of potato starch because the peaches were especially juicy. This seemed to be slightly too much, I reduced the amount to 3 tablespoons, which seemed to be right. You will need to experiment, and it’s not really possible to tell until after you’ve baked it.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and fill a large bowl with ice water. Cut a small cross into the bottom of the peaches, just piercing the skins.
Cut a small X into the peaches.
I use 8 medium-sized peaches, so you may have to adjust if using another size. Gently place the peaches in the boiling water for about a minute or so, until the skins begin to loosen. Remove the peaches and place in ice water. Gently remove the skin from each peach.
Peel the peaches.
Cut the peaches in half, remove the pits, and cut each half into four or five slices. Place the slices in a colander set over a large bowl. Gently toss the slices with the lemon juice, the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Mix the peaches, the sugar, and spices in a colander over a bowl.
I learned from Cook’s Illustrated that potato starch is the best thickener. It is smoother and less gelatinous than cornstarch. I bought Bob’s Red Mill potato starch. Use cornstarch if you prefer. Sift the potato starch into the liquid that accumulated in the pan, and whisk until well combined.
Sift potato starch into peach liquid.
In a small saucepan, gently cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until the starch is thoroughly dissolved and barely beginning to thicken. Do not allow it to thicken fully. This will happen in the baking process. I first developed this procedure for my cherry pie recipe, and it made a huge difference.
Gently cook the starch mixture.
Cool the mixture. Most recipes just sprinkle the starch onto the peaches, but I find that it doesn’t mix well, and makes the thickening more erratic. Place the peach slices in the bowl, and gently stir in the starch mixture. Fill the bottom crust with the peaches.
Peach mixture in the bottom crust.
To Assemble the Pie
To make the lattice top, remove the strips from the freezer. As soon as you can lift them off the parchment, place four strips across the pie horizontally. The strips will still be hard.
Place strips over pie.
As soon as they are softened enough to be pliable, fold the first and third strips in half.
Fold over 1st and 3rd strips.
Place another strip perpendicularly, up against the fold.
Place a vertical strip.
Then unfold those strips over the perpendicular strip. Next fold back the second and fourth strips, and place another perpendicular strip. Continue with the remaining strips. If at any point, the strips become too soft to work with, place them back in the freezer for a few moments.
There are many videos for how the lattice is done. Here’s a link to one from King Arthur’s Flour.
Trim excess ends off the strips, and fold the overhang from the bottom crust over the strips. Then crimp with the thumb and forefinger of one hand, and the thumb of the other to create a scalloped edge.
Put the pie in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. This makes for a better baked crust. Place a large tray on an oven rack that’s just below the center level of the oven. The hot pan helps make sure the bottom crust is fully baked and also catches any dripping that may overflow the pie. Preheat the oven to 425°.
To Bake the Pie
Remove the pie from the refrigerator and gently brush the lattice strip and the scalloped edge with the remaining egg wash. Then carefully sprinkle a tablespoon or so of sugar over the strips.
Brush the top with egg wash and sugar.
Place on the hot tray and bake the white peach pie about 30 minutes.
Bake the pie on a hot tray.
Reduce the oven temperature to 375° and bake about another 30 minutes, until the crust is a golden brown. Remove from the oven, and cool on a rack for at least three to four hours before serving.
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