Emmer Wheat Pie Crust (Blueberry filling)
This blueberry pie with an emmer whole grain crust is a delicious combination of fresh flavors. The filling is not too sweet because of the wild blueberry component, and the crust has a nuttiness from the emmer that goes so well with fruit. The dough is also surprisingly easy to roll out with a little help from a flour duster and bench knife.
Emmer Pie Crust and Blueberry Filling
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Pastry
Servings
8 slices
Prep Time
1 hour
Cook Time
55 minutes
This blueberry pie with an emmer whole grain crust is a delicious combination of fresh flavors. The filling is not too sweet because of the wild blueberry component, and the crust has a nuttiness from the emmer that goes so well with fruit. The dough is also surprisingly easy to roll out with a little help from a flour duster and bench knife.
Ingredients
-
2.5 cups Arva Flour Mills Whole Emmer Flour
-
3 grams salt (1/2 tsp)
- optional 2 grams ground mahleb (1/2 tsp)**
- 170 grams cold unsalted butter, cubed (12 Tbsp)
- 10-12 Tbsp ice water (150-175 grams)
- 6 cups blueberries, a mix of frozen wild and fresh (850 grams)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice (1/2 a lemon)
-
1/2 cup Arva Flour Mills Whole Emmer flour
-
3/4 cup sugar (150 grams)
-
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (2 grams)
Crust
Filling
Directions
Crust
In the bowl of a stand mixer, briefly hand-whisk the flour, mahleb, and salt. Then with the paddle attachment, beat in the cold butter chunks until they are approximately pea-sized. This can also be done in a food processor or with a pastry blender.
Drizzle in the ice water one tablespoon at a time, just until you see no more powdery flour. Turn off the mixer and squeeze the dough to test if it's damp enough to come together.
Form the dough into a ball inside your bowl or on a clean work surface.
Wrap and chill the dough at least 30 minutes.
Filling
Mix together all the ingredients in a bowl. I recommend a fifty-fifty mix of frozen wild berries and fresh regular blueberries for a mild sweet-tart flavor and nice texture. There's no need to defrost the frozen berries.
Assembly
Begin preheating the oven to 425F with a shelf placed one up from the lowest setting.
Divide the chilled dough two with a bench knife.
With a sturdy rolling pin, roll one piece into a round, periodically flouring and flipping it to work the other side. Gently fold it in half to transfer it to a lightly buttered pie dish, unfold and press it down.
Roll the second dough into a round sheet.
Put in the filling into the base crust and place the second round on top.
Crimp the edges and cut slits on the top.
Baking
Wrap the pie edge with a silicone or foil shield and place the pie in the oven on the second to lowest shelf. Put a baking sheet underneath if your pie seems overfilled.
Lower the oven temperature to 400F and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes or until filling bubbles through the slits on the top of the pie.
Leave the shield on the pie the entire time.
Cool on a rack at least two hours before serving so the filling sets.
Store covered in the refrigerator.
Recipe Note
You can make this crust with other wheat varieties. Simply add water slowly and check the dough. For einkorn whole grain flour, I used 6 Tbsp water compared with the 10 Tbsp for emmer wheat.
** Mahleb is an optional spice you can add to the crust or filling that is made from the ground kernal of a type of cherry. Mahleb smells like almonds and cherries both, and it's used in Middle Eastern and Greek desserts and baking, and also in a Syrian cheese called Tresse.