Blueberry Pie in Cornmeal Crust

Cornmeal with a hint of lemon zest gives this crust a bit of crunch that perfectly complements the blueberry filling. Cast iron ensures a deep golden color and beautiful crisp crust for a pie that’s down home delicious

Ingredients

Cornmeal Piecrust

• 1½ cups King Arthur Unbleached All-
• Purpose Flour
• ¾ cup stone ground cornmeal

¾ teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• ¼ cup vegetable shortening

½ cup cold unsalted butter

• 6-8 tablespoons ice water

Blueberry Filling

• 6-7 cups fresh blueberries, washed and

drained

• 1 cup sugar
• ⅓cup Instant ClearJel or ½ cup King
• Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• ¼ teaspoon teaspoon cinnamon or ⅛

teaspoon nutmeg, optional

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• milk and sugar for garnishing the top, if
• desired

Directions

For the crust

1. Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt, and lemon zest in a medium bowl.
2. Cut in the vegetable shortening until the mixture looks crumbly. Cut in the cold butter until
3. it’s in dime-sized pieces. Drizzle in the ice water a tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork
4. until the dough begins to come together. When you squeeze the mixture together and it
5. stays in a ball, divide it into two pieces, with one being slightly larger than the other (60-40;

the larger piece will be for the bottom crust).

1. 90
2. On a piece of plastic wrap, pat each piece into a disk about ¾-inch thick. Wrap and chill for
3. 30 minutes before rolling out.

For the filling

1. Place the blueberries in a large bowl. Whisk together the sugar and ClearJel (or flour) and
2. spices, if using. Pour over the berries and stir to coat.

To assemble

1. Lightly grease a cast iron pie pan or 10 inch skillet. Place a rack in the center of the oven
2. and preheat to 425 degrees F. Place another rack below the center with a lined baking

sheet to catch any drips.

1. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the larger piece of pie dough to a 13-inch circle.
2. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and trim so that ¾ inches of dough is hanging over

the edge all around.

1. Transfer the berry mixture to the lined pan and sprinkle the filling with the lemon juice.
2. Roll out the second piece of dough to a 10- to 11-inch circle on a piece of parchment. You
3. can vent the top using a small cutter in a decorative pattern if you like. Use the parchment to
4. help you transfer the dough to the top of the pie.
5. Seal the and crimp the edges. Brush the top with milk and sprinkle with sugar, if desired.
6. Bake the pie for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for
7. 40-50 minutes. Check the pie at 30 minutes and cover the edges if needed to keep them
8. from browning too far. Bake until the filling is bubbling all the way to the center.
9. Remove from the oven and cool completely before slicing.

Notes

From the Lodge Cast Iron cookbook I picked up during my visit to the Lodge Museum of Cast Iron in South Pittsburg, Tennessee (June 2026). Contributed by Susan Reid. Recommended cookware: Cast Iron Pie Pan.