Archives for July 2018

If you’ve never made a slab pie, you’re missing out on the EASIEST way to feed a crowd! This triple berry pie is a total showstopper, and the spelt flour crust adds a lovely nuttiness to this slab pie. 

I’m not sure anything screams ‘summer’ quite as loud as triple berry pie. Fresh berries, baked with the bare minimum amount of sugar (because hello, fresh summer berries are the sweetest!), flakey pie dough, and the obligatory scoop of ice cream or homemade whipped cream. It’s what dreams are made of.

So what makes this particular pie so special? Spelt flour. After taking the plunge into cookies made with spelt flour a few months back, I was hooked. It’s unique, flavorful, and unexpected. While the cookies were great, I knew I wanted to use some of the leftover flour to experiment with pie crust. And thus triple berry spelt slab pie was born!

Spoiler alert: it’s just as fabulous as it looks!

Unlike the cookies, there isn’t a ton of ‘chew’ from the flour, which is actually perfect because who wants a chewy pie crust? No one. This is pure flakey heaven, and every bit as wonderful as a traditional crust made solely from AP flour.

So what does the substitution affect? Color (see below) and flavor. It’s slightly nutty, but not harsh. I’m not sure how else to describe it — it just works. This spelt flour crust would perfectly complement any number of fillings, but something about the nuttiness and the way it plays off the sweet berries is magic. Completely irresistible and perfect for your July 4th celebration!

What’s in triple berry pie?

For the berry pie filling, you’ll need mixed berries, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, a lemon, and a pinch of salt. You’ll need to zest and juice the lemon, so try buying an organic lemon if possible to avoid zesting nasty chemicals into your pie (or just give your lemon a good wash under warm tap water).

For the spelt flour crust, you’ll need a blend of all-purpose flour and spelt flour, plus kosher salt, unsalted butter, vegetable shortening, and ice water. I know some people are are devoted strictly to all-butter or all-shortening pie crusts, but I pinky promise the blend of the two in this spelt flour pie crust is worth it. It’s impossible for the homemade pie crust to be anything other than rich and flaky when you make it with both butter and shortening!

How to make a berry pie

To make the pie dough, simply pulse the ingredients in a food processor until a dough forms. You’ll want to add the ice water a tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together nicely. I almost always stop at 8 tablespoons of water, but depending on how dry your dough is you may need up to 10 tablespoons.

Once the pie dough is prepped, divide it into two balls and place in the fridge to chill for around 30 minutes. While the pie dough chills, toss together the berry pie filling ingredients in a large bowl.

Once the pie dough is fully chilled, roll out one ball until it’s about two inches longer than the sheet pan. Gently press the dough into the bottom of the pan and up the sides, then pour the berry pie filling on top. Roll out the second ball of dough and either place it directly on top of the filling or cut it into strips to create a lattice top (your triple berry pie will look beautiful no matter what!).

Crimp or press the edges of the slab pie with a fork and then bake until the berry pie filling is bubbling and the crust is golden brown.

How to make a lattice pie crust

Making a lattice pie crust looks tricky, but it’s actually so easy to do! Simply place half the pie dough strips diagonally across the sheet pan and then weave in the remaining strips to form a lattice pattern. If the dough breaks, just press it back together.

Can I make triple berry pie with frozen berries?

Yes, you can substitute frozen mixed berries if fresh aren’t in season. But do NOT thaw the berries, and there’s no need to pat them dry before tossing them with the rest of the filling ingredients. 

Can I prep this pie in advance?

For sure! In the recipe card below, I recommend serving this triple berry pie warm, but fruit pies stay fresh for up to a day. You can easily make this the day before you plan on serving it and then keep it covered on your counter at room temperature in the meantime.

Tips for making triple berry pie

When making the homemade pie dough, it’s important that all of the ingredients are cold. Keep the butter, shortening, and water in the fridge until you’re ready to use them. If the butter and shortening are too warm, your pie crust won’t become nice and flaky.

If desired, you can make this triple berry pie with just one kind of berry. The fruit filling is versatile and can easily be adapted to fit whatever you have on hand.

Also, when baking this triple berry slab pie, I like to place a parchment paper-lined baking tray beneath it just in case any of the berry pie filling spills over (trust me, you so do not want to scrape pie filling off the bottom of your oven!).

If you make my triple berry pie, please let me know by leaving a review below! And make sure to sign up for my newsletter, and follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more Well Seasoned recipes!

For additional berry desserts, check out the following:

Mini blueberry galettes

Blueberry pie ice cream

Vanilla cake with mascarpone buttercream and fresh strawberries

Blueberry streusel coffee cake

Blueberry lemon bundt cake

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Triple Berry Pie

If you've never made a slab pie, you're missing out on the EASIEST way to feed a crowd! This triple berry pie is a total showstopper, and the spelt flour crust adds a lovely nuttiness to this slab pie.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Total Time1 hr 5 mins

Course: Pie

Cuisine: American

Keyword: berry pie filling, how to make a berry pie, slab pie, triple berry pie

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 515kcal

Author: ari | Well Seasoned

Ingredients

Pie dough

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups spelt flour
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter (cold)
• 14 Tbsp vegetable shortening (cold)
• 10 Tbsp ice water

Pie filling

• 6-7 cups fresh mixed berries*
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 lemon (juiced (about 1 Tbsp) and zested (about 1 Tbsp))
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• 1 large egg (lightly beaten)
• 2-3 Tbsp turbinado sugar

Instructions

To make the pie dough

• Combine all-purpose flour, spelt flour, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add butter and shortening, then pulse until pea-sized pieces remain.
• Add 6 Tbsp ice water and pulse until dough pulls together. Add additional tablespoon of water until dough forms (I almost always stop at 8 Tbsp).
• Remove dough and separate into 2 disks, then wrap each and refrigerate 30 minutes.

To make pie filling

• Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine berries, sugar, flour, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt in a large bowl, then toss gently to combine.
• Roll out 1 disk of dough on a lightly floured surface, then carefully transfer to 15" x 10" x 1" sheet pan. The dough should be about 2" longer than your pan on either side -- so about 17" x 12". Use your hands go lightly press the dough into the bottom and up the sides, allowing any excess dough to hang over the edge. If the dough breaks to tears, simply use your hands to press it back together -- this dough is very forgiving!
• Pour mixed berries into prepared pie dough and spread into an even layer.
• Roll out the remaining pie dough on a lightly floured surface. At this point you can transfer the entire dough over to the sheet pan for a fully covered pie, or you can cut the dough into long strips and create a lattice pattern.
• To make a lattice top: place half the strips diagonally across the sheet pan. Weave the remaining strips to form a lattice pattern. Again, if the dough breaks, simply press back together.
• Trim edges so that dough is even with the sides of the pan, tucking the bottom dough over the top dough as needed, then use your fingers or a fork to crimp or pattern dough along the sides.
• Brush the top of the pie with beaten egg, then sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until crust is a deep golden brown and berries are bubbling. Let cool about 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Notes

*You can substitute frozen berries, if desired. Do NOT thaw them, and there's no need to pat them dry before adding to the pie filling. 

Tip: I like to place a parchment-lined baking sheet underneath the pie in the oven in case of spillover.

Nutrition facts below do not include ice cream.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 515kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 31.6g | Saturated Fat: 14.5g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 362mg | Fiber: 5.6g | Sugar: 14.5g