Chef John’s Peach Pie

Ingredients

• 3 pounds fresh freestone peaches, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup white sugar, divided
• 1 tiny pinch salt
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• 1 pastry for a 10-inch double crust pie
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, cut into tiny pieces
• 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon white sugar, or to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Stir peaches, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt together in a bowl. Let sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Strain accumulated juices into a saucepan and return strained peaches to bowl.

Bring juices in saucepan to a boil; reduce heat to medium-high, and cook until mixture thickens to a syrup, 5 to 10 minutes.

Whisk 1/2 cup sugar, flour, and cornstarch together in a bowl. Stir lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon into peaches; add flour mixture and toss to coat. Pour peach syrup over peach mixture and stir.

Roll out half the pastry to fit a 10-inch pie plate. Place bottom crust in pie plate. Pour peach filling into pie shell, tap pie plate against a surface to settle filling, and dot with butter.

Roll remaining crust into an 11-inch circle and cut into 1-inch strips using a paring knife or pastry wheel.

Lay 5 strips of pie crust over the top of the pie. Weave remaining pastry dough strips through to form a lattice top. Fold the ends of the lattice strips under the bottom crust and crimp the crust. Brush cream over the top and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake in the preheated oven until browned and bubbling, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.