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Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

A classic sweet-tart double-crust pie. Most of the work is done the night before — day-of is relaxed.

55 min prep · 65 min cook · 120 min total · 8 slices

Adapted from web bookmark

Ingredients

slices
  • 300 g all-purpose flour (crust)
  • 225 g cold unsalted butter, cubed (crust)
  • 60 ml ice water (crust)
  • 1 tsp fine salt (crust)
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar (crust)
  • 650 g fresh rhubarb, sliced 1cm thick
  • 450 g fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
  • 230 g granulated sugar (filling)
  • 47 g cornstarch
  • 1.3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1.3 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.5 tsp fine salt (filling)
  • 18 g unsalted butter, diced (for dotting filling)
  • 1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water (egg wash) (to taste)
  • 2 tbsp coarse sugar for topping

Steps

Night before

  1. Make the dough. Whisk together the flour, crust salt, and crust sugar. Add the cold butter cubes and work in with your fingertips or a pastry cutter until you have a mix of pea-sized chunks and sandy crumbs. Drizzle in the ice water a tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork until the dough just holds together. Divide into two discs, wrap tightly, refrigerate overnight.
  2. Macerate the filling. Toss the rhubarb and strawberries with the filling sugar in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  3. Finish the filling. Drain the macerated fruit through a colander, discarding about half the accumulated liquid. Return the fruit to the bowl and toss with the cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, and filling salt. Cover and refrigerate.

Day of

  1. Rest and roll the dough. Remove the dough discs from the fridge and rest on the counter for 10 minutes — cold dough will crack when rolled. On a lightly floured surface, roll one disc into a 30 cm circle about 3 mm thick. Fit into a 23 cm pie dish with a 2 cm overhang. Refrigerate the lined dish while you roll the second disc into a matching circle.
  2. Fill and top. Pour the chilled filling into the lined dish. Dot with the diced butter. Lay the second crust over the top. Trim both overhangs to about 1.5 cm, fold together and crimp firmly. Cut 5–6 steam vents. Brush all over with egg wash and sprinkle generously with coarse sugar.
  3. Chill and preheat. Refrigerate the assembled pie for 20 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 220°C with a rack on the lowest position. Place a foil-lined baking sheet on the rack to preheat — it will catch drips and give the bottom crust a head start.
  4. Bake, first phase. Place the pie on the hot baking sheet. Bake at 220°C for 20 minutes, until the crust is set and beginning to colour.
  5. Bake, second phase. Reduce the oven to 190°C. Bake for a further 40–45 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and you can see thick, bubbling juices through the vents. If the edges brown too fast, tent them loosely with foil.
  6. Cool completely. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for a minimum of 3 hours before slicing. The cornstarch needs this time to fully set — cutting early means a runny filling. Serve as-is or with vanilla ice cream.

Notes

  • Overnight dough rest = more relaxed gluten = easier to roll and flakier result.
  • The long maceration is better than 30 minutes — fruit softens evenly and releases maximum liquid.
  • If your kitchen is warm, freeze the butter cubes for 15 minutes before making the dough.
  • Rhubarb stalks vary in tartness — taste a piece raw. If it’s very sharp, add an extra 10–15 g sugar to the filling.
  • The extra rhubarb makes this pie lean tart and jammy. Vanilla ice cream is not optional.
  • Keeps at room temperature for 2 days, refrigerated for up to 5.

Night before is about 20–25 minutes of actual work. Day-of is maybe 30 minutes hands-on before it goes in the oven, then patience while it bakes and cools.

My Notes

(your own tweaks go here)

dessertpiebakingfruitsummermake-ahead