Recipe: Vanilla Peach Pie from Vancouver’s Flourist

Recipe by Janna Bishop and Shira McDermott from Flourist Bakery.

Our favourite peach pie is simple and minimally sweet to showcase the flavour of summer peaches in the peak of their season. Enjoy with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Ingredients

1 recipe sifted red spring pastry dough (recipe here), chilled

8 to 10 medium-sized peaches 

⅔ cup brown sugar

¼ cup sugar

6 tbsp cornstarch

¼ tsp salt

1 vanilla bean or 1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp butter, cold and cubed

1 egg white

Turbinado or demerara sugar for sprinkling

Make It

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly butter a pie pan.

Remove dough from the fridge. Lightly flour your rolling pin and roll one disc into a circle about 13 inches wide and approximately ⅛- to ¼-inch thick. Gently ease dough into the prepared pie pan, lightly pressing it into the contours of the pan and making sure there is about a ½-inch overhang all around. If any part tears or comes away, simply press dough back together. 

Place first pan in refrigerator and roll out the second disc, placing the rolled-out dough onto a baking sheet and into the refrigerator.  

Slice peaches into ¾-inch slices and place in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together both sugars, cornstarch and salt. Split vanilla bean in half with a paring knife and scrape out the seeds into the sugar mixture. (If using vanilla extract, add to the sliced peaches.)

To make an egg wash, use a fork to lightly whip up the egg white with 15 ml of water. Using a pastry brush, brush the bottom of the pie dough with the egg wash. (This helps prevent the dough from becoming soggy during baking.)

In a bowl, lightly toss peaches with the sugar-cornstarch mixture. Using a slotted spoon, mound peaches into the pie pan, arranging as necessary to make them more compact. Leave out any accumulated peach juice (see tip on page 78). Dot with 1 tbsp of cubed butter.

Place the second rolled-out disc directly on top of the peaches. Trim the pastry dough as necessary, aiming for a 1-inch overhang. Fold the top layer of dough under the bottom layer, tucking the two layers together. Decorate the edge as you wish—pressing with fork tines, fluting, crimping, et cetera. With a paring knife or kitchen shears, cut steam vents on the top dough. (If you prefer a latticework top, slice and arrange dough disc to your preference, sealing the edges in the same manner.)

Place whole pie in the refrigerator to chill for at least 45 minutes—the longer the better. (We’ve left it up to 5 hours.)

Preheat oven to 400°F. When ready to bake, lightly whip an egg white with 15ml water to make an egg wash and generously brush the surfaces and edges of the pie. Sprinkle with topping sugar and bake for 60 to 90 minutes until deep golden brown. Let cool slightly and then transfer to a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tip: Re-roll scraps of leftover pie dough and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Cut into desired shapes and bake until golden brown. Alternatively, spread your favourite jam on top, roll up the dough and slice into bite-sized pieces before baking.

READ MORE: 5 Amazing Summer Baking Recipes from Vancouver’s Flourist