Braided pie
The braided pie is a dessert that not only delights the taste buds but also the eyes, thanks to its attractive appearance. This pie can be prepared with various fruits, but today we will focus on an apple variant, which is always a popular choice, as well as on the less common blueberry variant, which is equally delicious. Start by preparing the dough, which is the base of this recipe.
For the dough, you need 500 g of flour, 250 g of cold butter cut into cubes, 150 g of sugar, 2 eggs, and a pinch of salt. In a large bowl, combine the flour with the salt and sugar. Add the cold butter and, using your fingers or a food processor, mix the ingredients until you achieve a texture similar to sand. Add the eggs, one at a time, and quickly knead until the dough becomes homogeneous. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. If you choose apples, peel and cut 1 kg of apples into small cubes. Add 100 g of sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and the juice of one lemon to prevent oxidation. Mix well and let the mixture sit for 15 minutes so that the apples release their juice. If you prefer blueberries, use 500 g of fresh or frozen blueberries, add 100 g of sugar and the juice of one lemon, mixing gently not to crush the delicate fruits.
After the dough has rested in the refrigerator, divide it into two equal parts. Roll each piece of dough on a floured surface, so you obtain two thin sheets. Place one sheet in a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Spread the filling evenly over the sheet, leaving a small space at the edges.
Roll out the second sheet of dough and cut it into strips about 2 cm wide. Braid the strips of dough over the filling, creating a beautiful pattern. Make sure the strips are evenly placed so that the filling is well covered.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and bake the pie for 40-45 minutes or until the dough becomes golden and crispy. Let the pie cool slightly before cutting it. Serve it warm, alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream or with a dollop of sour cream for a delicious contrast. The braided pie with apples or blueberries will surely become a favorite in your family, both for its savory taste and its special appearance.
Put 200 g of flour in a bowl with sugar, yeast, and salt, and mix well. Separately, heat the milk with water and fat (butter or margarine; I used two types of margarine because I didn't have enough at home) on low heat until the margarine melts but not hotter than 50-54°C (120-130°F) so as not to destroy the yeast. Add this warm liquid over the dry ingredients and mix until softened. Add the egg and the rest of the flour, and mix until homogeneous and form into a round shape. Here in the magazine, it is specified: Do not knead the dough, and I did not knead. When my mother made the pie, she did not read carefully and kneaded for 2-3 minutes. Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes. If you use regular yeast, let it rest a bit longer, 20-25 minutes; you will figure it out. Meanwhile, prepare the filling you want for the pie. In the book, there was a recipe for cream cheese, but I modified it a bit. The other pie, as I made two, I filled with apples. Apple filling: I cut 4-5 apples into small cubes and sautéed them with a tablespoon of butter, sugar, and cinnamon if you want, until they softened and the liquid reduced. Now you can drain the excess liquid and let the apples cool or add a heaping tablespoon of cornstarch and let it cook a bit more, as I thought at that moment because I couldn't bear to throw away the goodness of natural apple juice. I let it cool down. Now let's move on to shaping the pie. From the obtained dough, roll out a rectangular sheet, a bit thicker towards the center. Place the filling in the middle of the sheet and make slits along the edges like this: and start braiding. And it's done! Transfer to the baking tray. Here I want to mention that I had a problem with one of the pies, namely the one with blueberry filling. When I transferred it, the blueberry syrup started leaking through the braids as it was quite liquid. I managed to fix it somehow. Therefore, I advise you to use a thicker jam or preserve. For the apple pie, being more experienced, I left the baking paper underneath when shaping it, so when I transferred it, I took it by the edges (the baking paper), and it was easier and without mishaps. Good! Then I put the tray in the oven at a suitable heat for about 45 minutes, but check because I'm not sure. The recipe for braided fruit pie was proposed by Leea on the culinary forum. Let the braided fruit pie cool a bit before serving.
Ingredients: Ingredients for a pie - I made 2, so I doubled the quantities; (I will give you the quantities from the magazine and their specifications) 300g or 3 cups flour, 50g or 1/4 cup sugar, 1 packet (7g) dry yeast with very fast rising agent (quick-rise yeast) - my mother also used regular dry yeast and it turned out fine; 120 ml or 1/2 cup milk, 115g or 1/2 cup margarine or butter, 60 ml or 1/4 cup water, 1 egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt; 4 - 5 apples.
Tags: apple pie fruit pie fruit tart
