Patriotic Blueberry Pie

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 315g (2 ½ cups) all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt. Add 226g (1 cup) cold cubed crust butter, and use your fingertips or a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture forms pea-sized crumbs with a few larger, almond-sized butter pieces remaining. Drizzle in 75ml (⅓ cup) ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing gently with a fork, until the dough just clumps together when squeezed. Split the dough into two equal 230g discs, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before rolling.

Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Once chilled, roll one dough disc out on a lightly floured surface to a 30cm (12-inch) circle, about 0.3cm (1/8-inch) thick. Gently lift the dough and lay it into a 23cm (9-inch) glass pie dish, pressing it firmly against the bottom and up the sides, leaving a 2.5cm (1-inch) overhang around the dish edge. Trim any excess overhang longer than 2.5cm with kitchen shears, and set the lined dish in the fridge while you prepare the filling.

In a large mixing bowl, toss together 750g (5 cups) patted-dry fresh blueberries, 150g (¾ cup) granulated sugar, 24g (3 tablespoons) cornstarch, 15ml (1 tablespoon) fresh lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon lemon zest until every berry is evenly coated in the sugar-starch mixture. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes to allow the blueberries to release a small amount of juice, then stir once more to redistribute any settled starch at the bottom of the bowl.

Remove the lined pie dish from the fridge, and pour the blueberry filling evenly into the crust. Dot the top of the filling with 28g (2 tablespoons) cold cubed filling butter. Roll the second dough disc out to a matching 30cm (12-inch) circle, then use 3cm (1.25-inch) and 5cm (2-inch) star-shaped cookie cutters to cut out 15-20 star shapes from the dough. Arrange the star cutouts in an overlapping, flag-inspired pattern across the top of the filling, leaving 1cm gaps between stars to let steam escape during baking. Fold the bottom crust overhang up over the edges of the star cutouts, crimping decoratively with your fingers to seal the pie edge.

Brush the exposed dough (star cutouts and crimped edge) evenly with egg wash made from 1 beaten large egg and 15ml (1 tablespoon) heavy cream, then sprinkle the entire top with 12g (1 tablespoon) coarse sanding sugar. Place the pie on a rimmed aluminum baking sheet (to catch bubbling juices) and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 25 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 190°C (375°F), cover the crust edge with a 5cm wide strip of aluminum foil to prevent burning, and bake for an additional 30 minutes until the filling is thickly bubbling through the gaps between stars and the crust is a deep, even golden brown.

Transfer the baked pie to a metal wire rack, and let it cool completely at room temperature for a minimum of 3 hours (or up to 6 hours) before slicing, to allow the cornstarch-thickened filling to set fully. Serve at room temperature, optionally topped with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream and a few sliced fresh strawberries for a classic red-white-blue patriotic color scheme.