Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •9-inch pie plate (glass or ceramic preferred)
• •Pastry blender or two knives
• •Rolling pin
• •Rimmed baking sheet
• •Wire cooling rack
• •Pastry brush

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the pie dough

   Whisk the flour, one tablespoon sugar, and one teaspoon salt together in a large bowl. Add the cold butter cubes and toss to coat each piece with flour. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until you have a mix of pea-sized pieces and flattened shards. This uneven texture creates layers. Don't aim for uniformity.

   Keep everything cold. If your hands run warm, rinse them in ice water and dry them before handling the butter.
2. 2

   Bring the dough together

   Combine six tablespoons ice water with the vinegar. Drizzle over the flour mixture and stir with a fork until the dough begins to clump. Add more water one tablespoon at a time if needed. The dough should hold together when squeezed but not feel wet or sticky. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gather into a shaggy mass.

3. 3

   Laminate for flakiness

   Flatten the dough into a rough rectangle. Fold it in thirds like a letter, rotate ninety degrees, and flatten again. Repeat this fold twice more. You're building layers that will puff and separate during baking. Divide the dough into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Shape into disks, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate at least one hour or overnight.

   The larger disk becomes your bottom crust, the smaller your lattice top. Mark them if you need a reminder.
4. 4

   Macerate the berries

   Place the marionberries in a large bowl. Add three-quarters cup sugar, the cornstarch, lemon juice, one-quarter teaspoon salt, and cinnamon. Fold gently with a spatula until the berries are coated and the sugar begins to draw out their juices. Let sit at room temperature while you roll the crust, at least thirty minutes. The berries will soften slightly and release their wine-dark liquid.

   If using frozen berries, do not thaw them first. The cornstarch will coat them as they release moisture in the pie.
5. 5

   Roll the bottom crust

   Remove the larger dough disk from the refrigerator. Let it rest five minutes if too firm to roll. On a floured surface, roll from center outward in all directions, rotating the dough quarter turns to maintain a round shape. Roll to about twelve inches in diameter and an eighth-inch thickness. Transfer to a nine-inch pie plate, easing it into the corners without stretching. Trim the overhang to one inch. Refrigerate while you prepare the top.

6. 6

   Create the lattice

   Roll the smaller disk to an eleven-inch round. Using a sharp knife or pizza wheel, cut into strips three-quarters of an inch wide. You should get twelve to fourteen strips. Lay them on a parchment-lined sheet and refrigerate until firm, about fifteen minutes. Cold strips weave without tearing.

7. 7

   Fill the pie

   Position your oven rack in the lower third. Place a rimmed baking sheet on it. Preheat to 425 degrees. Pour the macerated berries and all their accumulated juices into the chilled bottom crust. Mound them slightly higher in the center since they'll settle as they cook. Scatter the tablespoon of cold butter pieces over the fruit.

8. 8

   Weave the lattice

   Lay half the strips across the pie in parallel lines, spacing them evenly. Fold back alternate strips and lay a perpendicular strip across the center. Unfold, then fold back the other strips and lay another perpendicular strip. Continue this over-under pattern until the lattice covers the pie. Press the strip ends into the bottom crust edge and trim to match.

   If the dough gets soft and sticky, return everything to the refrigerator for ten minutes. Warm dough makes sloppy lattice work.
9. 9

   Crimp and finish

   Fold the bottom crust overhang up and over the lattice ends. Crimp decoratively by pressing with a fork or pinching with your fingers. Beat the egg with cream and brush the entire lattice and crimped edge. Sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar. The coarse crystals add crunch and sparkle.

10. 10

    Bake to bubbling perfection

    Set the pie on the preheated baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for twenty minutes until the crust turns golden. Reduce heat to 375 degrees and continue baking thirty-five to forty-five minutes more. The pie is done when the filling bubbles thickly through the lattice openings and the crust is deep golden brown. If the edges darken too quickly, shield them with foil.

11. 11

    Cool completely

    Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let it cool at least three hours before slicing. This is the hardest part. The filling needs time to set. Cut too soon and you'll have berry soup, delicious but impossible to serve. The pie can rest at room temperature overnight. In Oregon, it's often served the next day, the flavors mellowed and the juices perfectly gelled.

    Serve with vanilla ice cream or unsweetened whipped cream. Sharp cheddar cheese is the old-timer's pairing, strange to newcomers but oddly right.

Chef Tips

• •If you cannot find marionberries, blackberries will work, though you'll miss some of that distinctive brightness. Add an extra teaspoon of lemon juice to compensate. Do not substitute raspberries. The texture is entirely wrong.
• •Frozen marionberries are available year-round from Oregon producers who ship nationwide. They make better pie than mediocre fresh blackberries from distant sources.
• •The baking sheet beneath your pie serves two purposes: it catches any drips and its preheated surface helps cook the bottom crust, preventing the dreaded soggy bottom that plagues fruit pies.
• •Leftover pie keeps at room temperature for two days, loosely covered. After that, refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving or warm briefly in a 350 degree oven.

Advance Preparation

• •Pie dough can be made three days ahead and refrigerated, or frozen for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.
• •The fully assembled, unbaked pie can be frozen for up to two months. Bake directly from frozen, adding fifteen to twenty minutes to the initial bake time.
• •Baked pie is best the day it's made but holds well for two days at room temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 170g)