Sour Cherry Pie

How to prepare sour cherry pie

1. Note: Put the butter and water in the refrigerator about 15 minutes before starting the dough preparation to ensure they are very cold. At each step of the recipe, work as quickly as possible so the butter doesn't soften, and with cooled hands.
   You can prepare the entire dough as a single piece, but I prefer to divide the ingredients in two (125g flour, 115g butter...) and make two pieces of dough in parallel, I find it easier to work with.
2. Place the flour in a bowl, preferably one with a wide base.
3. Cut the butter into slices, then take each slice between your fingers (ideally cool your hands under cold running water first) and press until the butter breaks into pieces. This will give you butter "flakes."
4. Pour the water around the edge of the bowl, all around.
5. Start forming the dough as follows: slide your palm under the flour, bring it over the butter, and press with the heel of your palm. Rotate the bowl and repeat this motion until all the flour is "stuck" to the butter. Under no circumstances knead the dough like bread dough, even if you're tempted. We want the butter pieces to remain whole in the dough and going in the same direction. We don't need to obtain a smooth or fine dough - when the flour in the bowl is "stuck" to the butter, our dough is ready, even if it doesn't look like it 😊 Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
6. Sprinkle a little flour on the work surface (I used parchment paper). Roll out the dough with back-and-forth motions, to a thickness slightly less than a finger (see photo 1). Fold the dough into thirds by bringing the short edges toward the center (see photo 2). Turn the dough with the folded side down.
   Roll out the dough into a rectangle again, with back-and-forth motions. Fold the dough into thirds again, bringing the short edges toward the center.
   If it's warm in the house, the dough may become slightly sticky during rolling, but if you do these rolls and folds very quickly, it won't stick too much. Flour the rolling pin as often as needed.
   During the first rolls, the dough is very crumbly and tends to spread at the edges. That's okay, just press it with your palms to keep it together. With subsequent rolls, it will become more elastic.
8. Wrap the dough in plastic again and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Clean the work surface in case the dough stuck a bit.
9. Repeat steps 6 and 7 one more time.
   * Important: at this point, you can freeze the dough; when you want to use it, just take it out of the freezer, put it in the refrigerator until completely thawed, then continue with the steps below; if it's a bit hard and cracks when you roll it, leave it at room temperature for a few minutes until it becomes flexible
10. If you prepared the dough as a single piece, cut it into two equal pieces. You will use a baking pan of about 28 x 18cm.
11. Sprinkle a bit of flour on new parchment paper. Take one piece of dough and roll out a rectangular sheet of about 35 x 25cm (larger than the pan used, so the dough can go up the sides).
    * if the dough starts to stick a bit to the rolling pin, put the sheet as is in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, then continue rolling.
12. Place the dough in the pan lined on the bottom with parchment paper. Raise the edges on the sides of the pan. Put the pan with dough in the refrigerator while you do the next step.
14. Roll out the second sheet of dough, this time smaller, just enough to cut a lid of about 15 x 25cm.
15. Mix the sugar with the cornstarch and cinnamon. Pour this mixture over the cherries and mix gently. Pour the cherries over the dough in the pan. The cherries should cover the bottom of the dough in a single layer.
16. Cover the cherries with the dough "lid." Pull the edges over the lid and press a bit to seal.
17. Pierce the "lid" with the tines of a fork and if desired, sprinkle a little sugar on top.
18. Bake at 220°C for 45 minutes.
20. Let it cool completely (at least 1 hour), then you can slice it. It's also good warm, but the filling will still be liquid.
21. Serve plain, with a dollop of whipped cream, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Print