How To Make the Perfect Peach Pie

Step 1

Heat the oven. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Step 2

Prep the peaches. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice water. Using a paring knife, score 4 pounds peaches by cutting an “X” through the skin on the bottom of each peach.

Step 3

Working in batches, gently lower the peaches into the boiling water and blanch until the skin at the “X” starts to peel back, about 1 minute. Remove the peaches from the water with a slotted spoon and immediately transfer to the ice water bath. Let sit for 1 minute, then remove from the ice bath and carefully peel the skins off using a paring knife. Halve, pit, and cut the peaches into 1-inch pieces (about 7 1/2 cups). Place in a large bowl.

Step 4

Make the filling. Finely grate the zest of 1 large lemon (about 1 tablespoon) over the peaches, then juice the lemon (about 3 tablespoons) over the peaches. Add 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 5 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt to the bowl. Toss to combine, making sure there is no unmixed sugar or cornstarch left in the bottom of the bowl.

Step 5

Line and fill the pie pan. Unroll one of the pie doughs on a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 12-inch round. Transfer to a 9-inch standard pie pan (not deep dish). Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Pour the peaches and their juices into the crust and arrange into an even layer.

Step 6

Weave a lattice top crust. Roll out the second pie dough into an 11-inch round. Cut into 1 1/2-inch wide strips. Lay half the strips horizontally over the pie, spacing them evenly apart using the longer strips in the center of the pie and the shorter strips toward the edges. Fold every other strip in half back on itself.

Step 7

Lay one of the remaining strips vertically over the pie so that it lays across the unfolded horizontal strips. Unfold the folded horizontal strips so they lay over the vertical strip and fold the strips running under the vertical strip back over top.

Step 8

Lay another vertical strip of pie crust over the pie. Continue swapping the folded and unfolded horizontal strips and adding one new vertical strip each time. Continue until one half of the pie is completely latticed, then repeat the same pattern on the other half. (Here's a step-by-step tutorial.)

Step 9

Seal the crust. Pinch the edges of the pie dough together with your fingers or the tines of a fork to seal the top and bottom crusts together. (If the pie dough is warm, refrigerate the pie for 10 minutes before moving on to the next step.)

Step 10

Egg wash and sugar the top crust. Whisk 1 large egg and 1 tablespoon water together in a small bowl until no streaks of yolk remain. Brush the crust and crimped edges of the dough with the egg wash, then sprinkle evenly with 3 tablespoons coarse sugar.

Step 11

Bake the pie. Place the pie onto the lined baking sheet. Bake until the filling is bubbling and the crust is deep golden brown, 60 to 65 minutes. If the edges of the pie crust start to brown too quickly halfway through baking, loosely drape a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the pie.

Step 12

Cool before serving. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool completely before slicing, at least 3 hours.