Old Fashioned Peach Pie with Lattice Crust
A classic American peach pie featuring fresh summer peaches in a flaky, buttery homemade crust topped with a woven lattice. This version combines the best of traditional pie-making: tender peaches sweetened with brown and white sugar, warm cinnamon spice, and a double-crust made from scratch with butter and lard for maximum flakiness. The lattice top allows steam to escape while creating an elegant presentation. Who should make it: home bakers comfortable with pie dough and willing to invest time. When to serve: summer gatherings, dessert after dinner, or at potlucks. What sets this apart: the blanch-and-peel method ensures tender peaches without tough skins, while the combination of two sugars and cornstarch creates a balanced filling that stays set. The lard-and-butter crust achieves the gold standard of pie texture that all-butter or all-shortening crusts cannot replicate.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add peaches. When the water returns to a boil, leave peaches for 1 minute, then remove and rinse under cold water.
- 2
Peel and slice the peaches into slices.
- 3
Combine the sugars, cornstarch, and cinnamon with the peach slices and let sit.
- 4
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- 5
Add flour, salt, butter, and lard to a food processor. Pulse until the butter and lard are incorporated.
- 6
Add cold water and pulse until the dough comes together. Divide the dough in half.
- 7
Roll out one half with additional flour to fit your pie tin and place the crust in the pan.
- 8
Add the peach filling to the crust.
- 9
Roll out the remaining dough and cut into strips. Weave the strips to form a lattice top.
- 10
Brush cream or milk over the lattice and sprinkle with sugar.
- 11
Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 45 to 55 minutes, placing the pie on a cookie sheet or with foil underneath to catch any dripping juices.
Tips
Blanching peaches for exactly 1 minute loosens the skin without cooking the flesh, making peeling easy and keeping fruit texture intact. Skip this step and you'll struggle with stubborn skins.
Use very cold water when making pie dough and keep all fat cold. Warm fat melts into dough instead of creating steam pockets that produce flakiness. Work quickly and chill dough between rolling.
Place the baking sheet under the pie from the start, not halfway through. Drips set quickly on hot sheets and become hard to clean, but fresh juice catches cleanly on a cool sheet.
Good to Know
Cover with plastic wrap or foil once cooled to room temperature. Refrigerate up to 3 days. Do not freeze; freezing disrupts the crust texture.
Pie dough can be made up to 2 days ahead and frozen in an airtight container. Thaw in the refrigerator before rolling. Assemble and bake the day of serving for best crust quality.
Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Pairs well with iced tea in summer or coffee in any season.
Common Mistakes
Warm the fats before mixing to avoid creating steam pockets, resulting in a dense crust.
Overwork the dough by kneading excessively; this develops gluten and toughens the crust instead of keeping it tender.
Skip the water bath underneath the pie and hot liquid will drip onto your oven floor, creating smoke and cleanup headaches.
Use warm water in the dough; cold water is essential for controlling gluten development and crust texture.
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
increases tenderness but reduces maximum flakiness; use only half the amount as lard yields less steam
Full guide →Gluten-Free Swaps
General Alternatives
FAQ
Can I use frozen peaches instead of fresh?
Frozen peaches work but will release more liquid than fresh, potentially creating a soggy pie. Thaw completely and drain excess liquid before adding to filling. Increase cornstarch by 1 tablespoon to compensate. Fresh fruit always yields better texture and flavor.
Can I use store-bought pie crust instead of making my own?
Yes, though homemade crust will taste noticeably better and achieve superior flakiness. If substituting, use two store-bought rounds and follow baking time as written. The lard-butter combination in homemade dough is difficult to replicate in commercial products.
What if I don't have lard available?
Substitute with vegetable shortening at a 1:1 ratio. Shortening produces flaky results but lacks the subtle richness lard provides. Avoid using all butter, which melts too quickly and reduces flakiness. Many specialty stores and online retailers sell quality leaf lard year-round.