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Serves 10
45 minutes preparation time
35 minutes baking time, plus a few hours for chilling
for the crust:
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 stick cold, unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
2-4 tablespoons cold water
for the filling:
10 cups whole strawberries, stems removed, divided
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
If you are making the dough by hand, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and lemon zest. Add the butter and mix it into the flour mixture quickly with your fingers until it ranges in size from tiny pebbles to cornmeal.
If you prefer to use a food processor, add all the ingredients except the butter and water into the food processor bowl and pulse a few times. Add the butter and pulse a few more times until the butter is broken into small pieces, ranging in size from cornmeal to tiny pebbles. Turn the flour mixture into a large bowl.
Add 2 tablespoons of cold water and mix with a fork or your hands. If the dough does not hold together after you have mixed in the water, add one additional tablespoon of water at a time until it does. Form the dough into a ball with your hands. Flatten the dough into a disk and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.
Chill the dough for at least 15 minutes and up to a couple of days.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out on lightly floured plastic wrap or parchment paper. Roll the dough until it is about 2 inches larger than the diameter of the pie plate. Drape the dough over the rolling pin and transfer it to the pie plate. Push the dough down into the sides of the pie plate until it fits snugly. Trim any dough that hangs over the edge with scissors. Remove any excess dough. Pop any excess into the refrigerator to make a shape for the top, if you like.
Place a piece of foil over the dough in the tart pan. Press the foil into the pan so that it sits tightly on top of the dough. Fill the pie plate with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the crust for 25 minutes. Remove the weights and the foil and bake until the crust is lightly brown, about another 7 minutes.
While the crust is cooking, make the filling. Reserve about two dozen perfect berries for the top. Halve or quarter the remaining berries, depending on their size. In a small pot, gently mash 2 cups of the berries with the lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch. Simmer over medium heat until the mixture thickens and the cornstarch is clear, about 5 minutes. Set it aside (in the refrigerator or freezer) to cool to room temperature.
With the exception of the two dozen perfect berries, spread the remaining berries into the pie crust. Pour the cooled strawberry mixture over the top. Slice the remaining two dozen berries in half lengthwise and arrange them over the top of the pie in a circular pattern. Chill for at least two hours until firm.