Rhubarb Pie

For the crust:

1. Mix the pastry flour and salt together, then pour the whole lot onto a large cutting board or countertop where you have some room to move.
2. With a bench scraper, cut in half of the butter until it is the size of lima beans, then cut in the other half of the butter until it is the size of quarters.
3. Using your fingers, flick the water onto the butter flour mixture and gently fold it in with your bench scraper. You have added enough water when you can pick up a handful of the dough and squeeze it together without it falling apart. The dough may have a few dry spots and that’s okay.
4. Then, pull a small section of the dough off and using the heel of your hand push the dough down and away from you. You have just created a sheet of dough which is going to turn into delicious flaky crust. Scrape this section of dough off of the board and place it into a bowl to the side. Repeat with the remaining dough, a small section at a time, until you have worked through all of the dough.
5. Once this is complete, gently remove the dough from the bowl and press it together. Then split it in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap and form into disks. Chill the dough for at least 1 hour before using. I chilled mine overnight. (See the related blog post for a link to a photo tutorial.)

To assemble and bake:

Preheat oven to 450ºF.

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of the dough into a 12″ circle about 1/8″thick and place it into a 9″ pie pan. Place in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the pie.
2. Roll out the other piece of dough into a 12″ circle about 1/8″ thick and place it in the fridge to chill while you prepare the filling.
3. Put the sugar in a large bowl, then rub the vanilla bean seeds and orange zest into the sugar to evenly distribute. Add in the rhubarb, flour, and salt and toss to combine evenly. Fill the prepared pie shell with the rhubarb mixture and top with the second crust. Crimp the edges and cut a few vents in the top crust. Alternately, you can top the pie with a lattice-style crust as I’ve done in the photo above. When I make a lattice-topped pie, I like to use nice thick strips of dough, so the ones pictured above are about 1″ wide.
4. If the crust seems soft or warm, slide the whole pie into the fridge or freezer for about 15 minutes before you bake it. When you are ready to bake, brush the top of the pie with a beaten egg and sprinkle with a healthy dose of coarse sugar.
5. Put the pie pan on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake for 15 minutes on the lowest rack of your oven, then lower the oven temperature to 350ºF and bake for 40-50 minutes or until the crust is deep golden brown and the rhubarb juices bubble. Cool at least 2 hours before serving.

Dough recipe and technique adapted from Brandi Henderson.