A classic blueberry pie is one of the summer's best desserts. Made with a homemade butter pie crust, using fresh or frozen blueberries with a touch of lemon and cinnamon, this delicious pie comes together easily and is perfectly paired with some fresh whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Make the Crust: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.
Add the butter and, using a pastry blender or two forks, quickly cut it into the flour until large pea-sizes bits remain.
Add ¼ cup of the ice water and use a rubber spatula to stir it into the dough, pressing it together. If it still seems dry, add more water a little at a time until it is cohesive.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and bring it together with your hands, then divide it into two equal portions.
Working with the first piece of dough, gently pat it into a 6-inch circle. Lightly flour the top and gently and quickly roll it out to a 13-inch circle, picking it up and doing a quarter turn after every couple of rolls to keep it from sticking.
Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate and gently press it into the bottom and up the sides. Trim the dough to 1 inch beyond the lip of the pie plate.
Roll the second piece of dough out as you did the first, this time into a 12-inch circle. Gently transfer it to a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate both the dough-lined pie plate and dough round while you prepare the filling.
Make the Filling: Place the blueberries in a large bowl, sprinkle with the lemon juice and toss to coat evenly. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, salt and cinnamon. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the berries and toss to distribute evenly. Immediately transfer to the dough-lined pan. Dot with the butter.
Carefully position the reserved dough round over the filled pie. Trim the edge, leaving 1 inch of overhang, then fold the edge of the top round under the edge of the bottom round and crimp the edges to seal. Using a small, sharp knife, cut an asterisk 4 to 5 inches across in the center of the top to allow steam to escape during baking. (You can also do decorative cutouts of the top dough as pictured above.)
Refrigerate the assembled pie for at least 2 hours.
Bake the Pie: Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 375°F.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water for the egg wash.
Brush on the egg wash over the surface of the pie. Bake the pie until the crust is golden and the filling is thick and bubbling, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely,, at least 2 hours. Serve at room temperature. Store leftovers, covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Blueberries - You can use fresh or frozen blueberries for this pie; if using frozen, no need to thaw before baking, but add 10 to 15 minutes to the bake time.
Crumb Topping - You can halve the pie crust and use a crumb topping instead of a pie crust for the top. I love the topping from my Dutch apple pie.
Allow the pie to cool COMPLETELY - The filling of the pie needs all of that cool-down time to thicken and set up properly. If you cut into before it is completely cool, you risk a runny, watery pie.
Make-Ahead Entire Baked Pie - Since the pie enjoys massive benefits from allowing to cool completely before serving, it is a perfect pie to make a day in advance of serving. Store at room temperature until ready to serve.
Make-Ahead Pie Crust - The pie crust can be prepared and refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Make-Ahead Pie Filling - The pie filling can be mixed together and then frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using it.
Freezing Whole Pie (Unbaked) - Assemble the entire pie as directed, but stop before adding the egg wash. Freeze the pie, uncovered, until firm, then wrap in two layers of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. To bake, do not thaw, brush the egg wash directly on the frozen pie and bake at the same temperature, but increasing the bake time 10 to 15 minutes. Since fruit pies that are frozen after baking tend to develop very soggy crusts, I do not recommend freezing after baking.