Ingredients
For the pie crust:
- 2 1/2 cups spelt flour (Type 630) (325 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon organic beet sugar
- 250 g frozen unsalted butter (see tips below)
- 9-10 tablespoons ice cold water
- 1 egg yolk, for wash
For the filling:
- 3-5,4 cups rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1-1,5 cm pieces (500 g trimmed)
- 3 cups strawberries, halved (450 g)
- 100 g organic beet sugar
- 60 g soft brown sugar (I recommend GEPA organic raw cane sugar Mascobado)
- 4 tablespooons spelt flour or starch
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (Ceylon)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest (organic)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt and sugar.
- Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the frozen butter into the flour. Continue by cutting the butter into the flour with a fork or a pastry cutter until well incorporated and mixture resembles fine crumbs.
- Add the water and use your hands to combine until forms a dough. Do not over-knead! If the dough is too wet, then add a sprinkle of flour. Or too dry add a little more water.
- Form into a ball, dust with flour, and flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or freeze for 30 minutes). Or leave in a ball and refrigerate overnight (this is what i always do).
- Place the sliced rhubarb and strawberries in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, both sugars, cinnamon, ginger and orange zest. Pour the flour mixture over rhubarb and toss until evenly coated. Drizzle with orange juice and toss again. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 / 200 degrees and butter the pie dish. I also like to place a layer of parchment paper on the bottom rack in case any bubbling pie filling spills over.
- Take 2/3 of the dough and roll it out on a floured surface in a thin layer large enough to line the bottom and sides of the pie dish.
- Carefully arrange the thin pie dough in it (this is quite easy with floured fingertips). Trim any excess dough and crimp the edges of the crust with your fingers or use a fork to decorate.
- Transfer the rhubarb mixture to the pie dish. Spread out evenly.
- Take the other piece of dough (and trimmed dough) and roll into a circle large enough to cover the rhubarb. Place the rolled dough over top. Crimp the edges with a fork or flute with your fingers, sealing the top and bottom crust together.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and a teaspoon of water and use a pastry brush to paint a thin layer of the egg wash on the top of the pie crust.
- Place the pie in the oven and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce heat to 350°F / 180 C and bake an additional 40-45 minutes longer. The pie is done when the entire crust is nicely browned and the filling (that you can see through the venting holes) thick and bubbly.
- Cool on a wire rack before serving (or enjoy slightly warm). This pie keeps well at room temperature (covered) for 24 hours, or refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Notes
- I grate frozen butter over the flour, as it speeds up the process and keeps your dough nice and cold which helps make for an amazingly, flaky, beautifully browned pie crust.
- I habe also made this with freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice and no orange rind. Also tastes delicious!
- If your oven runs hot at the back, rotate pie every 20 minutes for even baking.
- The egg yolk wash is key to getting a perfectly flaky pie crust. So best not skipped!