How to Bake a Lattice-Top Cherry Pie

Bright, jammy cherries under a woven lattice crust. Includes how to weave the lattice, step by step.

Makes

One 9-inch pie, 8 slices

Active time

About 1 hour 15 minutes

Bake

425°F, then 375°F, about 70 minutes total

Cool

At least 3 hours

Cherry pie is very juicy, which is why the lattice top is more than decoration: the open weave lets steam escape so the filling can thicken. The classic pie uses sour (tart) cherries, such as Montmorency, but sweet cherries work too with a few changes.

Ingredients

For the double crust

• 2 1/2 cups (315 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (226 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 6 to 8 tablespoons ice water

For the filling

• 5 cups (about 2 pounds / 900 g) pitted sour cherries, fresh or frozen
• 1 cup (200 g) sugar, or 3/4 cup for sweet cherries
• 1/4 cup (30 g) cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (add 2 tablespoons for sweet cherries)
• 1 tablespoon butter, in small pieces

To finish

• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 tablespoon coarse sugar (optional)

Instructions

1. Make and chill the dough. Make the dough as for a double-crust pie: work the butter into the flour, sugar and salt until it is in pea-sized pieces, add ice water until it holds together, then divide in two and chill for at least 1 hour.
2. Prepare the cherries. If using frozen cherries, thaw them in a colander over a bowl and keep 1/4 cup of the juice. Toss the cherries (and that juice) with the sugar, cornstarch, salt, almond extract and lemon juice.
3. Line the pan. Roll one disk into a 12-inch circle and fit it into a 9-inch pie plate, leaving the overhang. Pour in the filling and dot with butter. Refrigerate.
4. Cut the strips. Roll the second disk into an 11-inch circle and cut it into 10 strips about 1 inch wide. A ruler and a pizza cutter make this easy. Chill the strips for 10 minutes if they get soft.
5. Weave the lattice. Lay 5 strips across the pie, evenly spaced. Fold back every other strip (the 1st, 3rd and 5th) halfway, lay one strip across them at a right angle, then unfold them. Now fold back the 2nd and 4th strips, lay another crosswise strip, and unfold. Repeat until the top is woven, then do the other half the same way.
6. Seal the edge. Trim the strips to the edge of the overhang, fold the bottom crust's overhang up over the strip ends, and crimp to seal. Chill the pie for 20 minutes while the oven heats to 425°F (220°C) with a baking sheet on the lowest rack.
7. Bake. Brush the lattice with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake 20 minutes at 425°F, then reduce to 375°F (190°C) and bake 40 to 50 minutes more, until the crust is golden and the filling bubbles thickly in the center, not just at the edges.
8. Cool. Cool for at least 3 hours. The cornstarch only fully sets once the pie is close to room temperature.

Common problems

• Runny filling: the pie didn't bubble in the center long enough to activate the cornstarch, or it was cut while warm.
• Lattice strips tearing: the dough is too warm. Chill the strips on a baking sheet until firm.
• Juice overflow: normal for cherry pie. That's what the baking sheet underneath is for.

Cherry pie keeps at room temperature, loosely covered, for 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5. For more on why a cold, lightly mixed dough bakes up flaky, see Why Cold Butter Makes a Flaky Pie Crust.