Shellfish Free Classic Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Few desserts hit quite like the sweet-tart combination of strawberries and rhubarb tucked inside a buttery, flaky double crust. The filling comes together with fresh fruit, a touch of lemon zest and juice, warm cinnamon, and tapioca starch ā which works quietly in the background to thicken all those gorgeous ruby juices into something sliceable and lush. Chilling the butter-based dough before rolling keeps the layers tender and crisp, and baking the pie on a preheated sheet in the lower third of the oven gives the bottom crust a head start so it never turns soggy. The egg wash brushed over the top gives the finished pie that deep, glossy golden color that makes it look like it came straight out of a bakery window. Letting it cool for a full two hours is genuinely the hardest part, but it's what turns the filling from a bubbling liquid into clean, beautiful slices. Every single ingredient here is straightforward pantry and produce-aisle stuff ā no hidden additives, no seafood-derived thickeners, nothing to second-guess. This is the kind of pie that earns recipe-card status and gets requested every single summer.
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Learn more āIngredients
8 servings
For the crust
- 2 Ā½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into Ā½-inch cubes and chilled
- 6ā8 tbsp ice water
For the filling
- 3 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 3 cups fresh rhubarb, cut into Ā½-inch pieces
- Ā¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp quick-cooking tapioca starch
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Ā¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
For the egg wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tbsp coarse sugar, for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- 1
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 tbsp sugar, and salt. Add the chilled butter cubes and work them into the flour using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining. Drizzle in ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork after each addition, until the dough just holds together when pressed ā it should not be wet or sticky. Divide the dough into two equal discs, wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- 2
In a large bowl, combine the strawberries, rhubarb, 3/4 cup sugar, tapioca starch, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Toss until the fruit is evenly coated. Let the filling sit for 15 minutes while you roll out the dough ā the juices will begin to release and the tapioca will start to hydrate.
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