Bread

"All sorrows are less with bread."

Miguel de Cervantes

Peaches in pie

Georgia Peach Pie

from Cheryl Day and Griffith Day's "Back in the Day Bakery Made with Love"

1 extra-flaky pie crust

2 1/2 pounds peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/4-inch slices

2 tsp. grated lemon zest

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/2 tsp. fine sea salt

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground allspice

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1 large egg, lightly beaten with a pinch of fine sea salt for egg wash

coarse sugar or raw sugar for sprinkling

Roll out one disk of dough, fit it into a 9-inch pie pan, and refrigerate for 30 minutes, then "dock" the bottom of the crust and return it to the refrigerator. 

Roll out the second disk, cut into lattice strips, place on a baking sheet and refrigerate.

Put the peaches in a large bowl, add the lemon zest and lemon juice, and toss gently.

In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, allspice and ginger. Gently toss the peaches with this mixture.

Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust. Use the chilled dough strips to form a lattice over the filling crust. Put the pie on a rimmed baking sheet and put in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to set the crust.

Meanwhile, position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Remove the pie from the refrigerator and brush the pie crust with the egg wash. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. 

Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling. 

Remove the pie from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 2 to 3 hours.

The pie can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 day or refrigerated for up to 2 days. Makes 8 servings.

for the extra-flaky pie crust:

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. fine sea salt

1/2 cup ice water

1 Tbsp. cider vinegar

1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter cut into 1-inch cubes

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a measuring cup or a small bowl, combine the water and cider vinegar. Set aside.

Toss the butter in the flour mixture to gently coat it. Then use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour. You should have various-sized pieces of butter, ranging from sandy patches to pea-sized chunks, with some larger bits as well. 

Drizzle in about half of the ice water mixture and stir lightly with a fork until the flour is evenly moistened and the dough starts to come together. 

If the dough seems dry, add a little more ice water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time. The dough will still look a bit shaggy at this point. If you grab a small piece of dough and press it slightly with your hand, it should mostly hold together.

Dump the dough out onto an un-floured work surface and gather it together into a tight mound. 

Using the heel of your hand, smear the dough a little at a time, pushing it away from you and working your way down the mass of dough to create flat layers of flour and butter. 

Then gather the dough back together with a bench scraper, layering the clumps of dough on top of one another. 

Repeat the process once or twice more; the dough should still have some big pieces of butter visible.

Cut the dough in half. Shape each piece into a disk and flatten it. Wrap the disks in plastic and put in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or overnight, to rest.

The dough can be stored for 3 days in the refrigerator or up to 1 month in the freezer. If frozen, defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Makes 2 9-inch pie crusts.