Slab pie is highly transportable. I made this one to take on a camping trip and it stood up to the journey beautifully. I made it two days before the trip and wrapped it, still in the pan, in several layers of plastic wrap. Then I stuck it in bag and put a bunch of other food on top (only light things like potato chips to avoid crushing) and hauled it off to our campsite. It survived being wedged between tents and coolers in the back of a car. I think that sitting around for a couple days actually improved it and helped the filling set up so that you can easily slice pieces that hold together. I highly recommend it for any summery, sitting-on-a-blanket-on-the-grass type activities you have planned for August. All you need is a knife to cut slices, plates and forks are optional.
The pastry I used is from a Bon Appetit recipe and it's a bit different that other pie doughs. It has almond flour and a couple egg yolks in it, which I hadn't seen before. I have made it a bunch of times with various different fillings since the sour cherry pie recipe came out two years ago in Bon Appetit, and it has never failed. It always comes out perfectly flaky and it never gets tough. I know every pie dough recipe everywhere makes claims to be the magical, never tough, perfect, easy dough. But this is really it. Just try to mess it up, I bet you can't.
Equipment note: I used a quarter bun pan, or a 9" x 13" jelly roll pan. These pans have a 1" high side and they are just the right size to hold a standard pie crust and filling.
crust:
adapted from Bon Appetit
- ⅓ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 big pinch salt
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chilled butter, cut into pieces (my butter was not chilled, doesn't seem to matter too much)
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup cold water
Combine almond flour, granulated sugar, salt, all-purpose flour and butter in a food processor and pulse until mixture is just combined and has a sandy texture. Combine egg yolks and water and drizzle them over the flour mixture. Pulse until just combined. Add a few drops more water if the dough isn't coming together.
Dump the dough out onto a large sheet of plastic wrap and squish it into a rectangle. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours.
filling:
adapted from Martha Stewart
- 5 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
- 1 cup chopped strawberries
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
assembly:
Cut chilled dough into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other, about 2/3 for one piece and 1/3 for the other. Roll out the larger piece into a rectangle slightly larger than your pan so that dough hangs over the edge when you lay the dough sheet over the pan. Roll out the smaller piece the same size as the pan. Cut vents into the dough with a knife or cut little circles out with a piping tip.
Spread the fruit filling over the dough in the pan and cover it with the top sheet of dough. Fold over the overhang and press the dough together to seal.
Brush the top of the pie with heavy cream and sprinkle generously with sanding sugar if you like. Bake at 375°F for about an hour. If the crust browns too quickly tent it with foil.
Let cool for at least two hours before serving.
Photos by Tyrel Hiebert