Cherry Pie with Yogurt Crust
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
A tart filled with juicy cherries thickened with minute tapioca crushed fine, encased in a flaky yogurt-enriched pâte brisée. The dough gets a tangy lift from plain yogurt instead of all butter or cream. Roses cut from the top crust dance on the fruit bed, brushed with egg wash for golden sheen. Baking till crust blisters golden and filling bubbles through, releasing that warm cherry aroma that perfumes the kitchen. Chilling dough matters here, so it shatters rather than shrinks. Tapioca swells, locking juices; sugar balances the tartness. A tablespoon of lemon juice cuts sweetness and brightens colors. The recipe shifts timing a few minutes from usual, because ovens vary and fruit moisture leaks differ.
Prep:
40 min
Cook:
47 min
Total:
Servings:
8 servings
#fruit pie
#yogurt pastry
#seasonal cherries
#french baking
#tapioca starch
Halfway through rolling dough. Butter cold; never rush crumb texture or flake falls apart. Yogurt addition—my twist learned after one crust shriveled like leather—adds subtle tang but keeps gently pliable. Tapioca in cherries? Not simple flour or cornstarch; minute tapioca breaks down better, swells without graininess. Once baked, scent of warm cherries fills kitchen, mingled with browned butter aroma from pastry edges. Subtle crackles as crust breaks under fork tease senses. Cherry pits firm, juicy flesh pops against flaky dough. Sometimes berries leak juice—great to keep tray underneath. Eggs wash glosses flowers; underbaked egg dulls; overbaked burns. Watch closely. I swap lemon juice for orange zest in late spring for a twist—fruity brightness but keep an eye on sweetness. Berries frozen work well, but fresh better if firm. I prefer fresh local cherries for Earthly tang.
Ingredients
Crust
- 360 g (2 1/3 cups) all-purpose unbleached flour
- 1.5 ml (1/3 tsp) salt
- 160 g (2/3 cup + 2 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 90 ml (6 tbsp) plain yogurt
Egg wash
- 1 egg
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) water
Filling
- 60 g (1/4 cup + 1 tbsp) quick tapioca, finely ground
- 900 g (6 1/2 cups) pitted fresh or frozen cherries, halved
- 200 g (7/8 cup) granulated sugar
- 20 ml (1 1/3 tbsp) lemon juice
About the ingredients
Flour—go unbleached, stronger proteins hold crust better without toughness. Butter cold, cubed; room temp ruins flakiness. Yogurt replaces some butter moisture, making crust more tender but watch dough not sticky. You can sub Greek yogurt for thicker tartness, but reduce flour slightly if dough feels sticky. Tapioca minute crush fine—if using coarse, blend well or results lumpy filling. Can swap fresh cherries for frozen; thaw and drain excess juice to avoid watery filling. Sugar quantity based on cherry sweetness; tart cherry varieties might use extra sugar. Lemon juice essential, adds acidity for balance and stabilizes color. Eggs large, farm fresh preferred to maximize shine. Water in egg wash thins gloss; skip if prefer thicker shiny coat. Fresh citrus zest or small amount of vanilla in tart shell adds aroma but optional. Always chill dough between steps; warm dough loses structure.
Method
Crust
- 1. Pulse flour and salt briefly in food processor. Add butter cubes; pulse short bursts till pea-sized granules. Too long warms butter; results in greasy crust. Stop once mixture resembles coarse sand with chunks. Add yogurt; pulse until dough just starts clumping. Avoid overmixing; flours hydrate fast here. Scrape dough onto surface, form two disks, wrap in plastic tightly. Refrigerate minimum 35 minutes or until firm and cold. Cold dough flakes better—textural key.
- 2. Lightly flour work surface. Roll each disk to 28 cm (11 in) circle evenly—thin, about 3 mm thick. Avoid stretching; it shrinks when baked. Gently lift one to line 23 cm (9 in) tart pan. Press inside edges snug; fingers or bottom of glass. Pinch edges forming scallops using finger and thumb; adds character and catches drips. Return both doughs to refrigerator on parchment (one in pan, one on tray).
Egg wash
- 3. Whisk egg and water briskly until homogenous; sets up golden shine and seals pastry edges. Keep covered until use.
Filling
- 4. Prepare oven rack in lower third; preheat oven to 205 C (400 F) for a crisper base.
- 5. Using mortar and pestle or spice grinder, crush tapioca until grain-size fine. This step is overlooked often but crucial for consistent thickening without gritty bits.
- 6. In bowl, toss cherries with crushed tapioca, sugar, and lemon juice. Lemon brightens fruit, slows browning, and tempers excessive sweetness. Wait 10 minutes to let tapioca absorb some juice; thickening starts even before baking. Pour filling into crust-lined tart shell; spread evenly but don’t press down—fruit needs room to bubble.
- 7. Using small flower-shaped cutter, stamp out flower shapes from second dough disk. Distribute flowers in overlapping, decorative pattern atop cherries. Less cumbersome than making a full lattice or solid top; allows steam to vent and creates visually appealing surface. Brush egg wash on flowers liberally; also edges of bottom crust just exposed. This prevents sogginess and deepens color during baking.
- 8. Place tart on parchment-lined tray to catch any filling spills. Slide into preheated oven. Bake for 50 minutes. Watch for bubbling filling through flower gaps; crust edges turn deep golden brown and flowers puff slightly. Utensil poke test not helpful as filling is molten. Oven temps fluctuate; adjust baking by 3-5 minutes depending on browning and filling jiggle. A good cue: edges firm, flowers glisten golden, fruit bubbling steady.
- 9. Remove from oven; cooling critical here. Let tart rest at room temp until lukewarm, about 45 minutes to an hour if possible. Filling firms slightly as fruit juices reabsorb tapioca gel, preventing runniness. Serve warm or chilled. Store loosely covered at room temperature; best eaten within two days to avoid crust sogginess.
Cooking tips
Food processor pulses for dough—watch timing; less is more. Too much mixing equals tough crust. Dough ball formation depends on humidity; may need slight extra yogurt splash if dry or extra flour if sticky. Rolling dough evenly avoids overworking; cold surface helps. Pinching dough edges scalloped catches oven steam and holds filling better. Crushing tapioca is often skipped; it prevents grit but done otherwise thickens slower, can leave lumps. Filling toss and rest lets sugars dissolve and tapioca start absorbing moisture; key step. Flower cutouts replace a full lid—saves time, vents filling; brush egg wash thickly to ensure golden glaze. Baking nose cues: smell toasted butter, see bubbling fruit juices. Cool on wire rack at least 30 minutes to set filling. Storage at room temp or fridge; avoid sogginess by letting come back to room temp before serving. Use tray under tart to catch drips; clean oven easier. Preheat oven fully for consistent baking speed—temp accuracy crucial here. If crust browns too fast, tent with foil mid-bake.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Butter cold. Cube it small. Pulse flour quickly. Overprocess and butter warms, makes crust greasy. Dough looks coarse sand with bits, then add yogurt. Pulse only till it clumps. Overmix toughens. Chill minimum 35 mins; frozen tempting but cold always. Cold dough flakes better—keeps textures distinct when baked. Rolling thin to 3 mm key. Thinness affects bake speed and texture. Avoid stretching; dough shrinks when heated. Thick spots stay doughy or shrink unevenly. Use parchment to chill both dough rounds; one lined in pan, one on tray for cutouts.
- 💡 Crush tapioca with mortar or grinder before mixing. Coarse tapioca clumps, gritty mouthfeel. Fine crush swells evenly; filling thickens without lumps. Toss cherries with tapioca, sugar, and lemon juice. Lemon juice does dual job—brights cherries, slows discoloration, balances sugar. Let mixture sit 10 mins. Tapioca starts hydrating early; thickening begins before baking. Stirring helps juices absorb tapioca granules uniformly; no pressing fruit into crust, leaves space for bubbling juices. Bubbles through flowers show it’s cooking right.
- 💡 Egg wash thins with water; whisk briskly till smooth; brush flowers and exposed bottom crust edges liberally. Keeps top glossy, seals moisture out of crust edges, prevents soggy bottom. Watch baking time closely; ovens vary. Start with 50 mins at 205 C, adjust 3-5 mins by visual cues. Golden flowers puff slightly, edges brown deep gold. Check for steady bubbles through gaps; dough browns fast? Tent with foil mid-bake. Baking long doesn’t always mean done; smell toasted butter for cue, crust firm edges like shell. Utensil poke test useless; filling molten.
- 💡 Cooling step critical. Hot filling too loose; can drip or run. Room temp rest 45-60 mins firms filling as juices gel with tapioca. Chilling optional but better for slice stability. Store loosely covered at room temp max 2 days to avoid crust sogginess. Fridge toughens crust. Reheat gently if chilled. Tray under tart needed to catch drips; cherries bleed juice occasionally. Use fresh cherries if firm; frozen thawed, drained, excess juice discarded to keep filling ratio intact. Greek yogurt works; thicker but reduce flour bit if dough sticky.
- 💡 Pinch dough edges scalloped to catch steam, gives rustic decorative rim. Using flower cutter saves time over lattice or full lid, vents steam, prevents soggy top. Egg wash thick here, deepens color during baking. Dough ball consistency varies with humidity; in dry weather, splash yogurt; sticky? Add tiny flour. Rolling on cold surface helps avoid warming dough. Berries leak juice sometimes; catch early spills with tray. Swap lemon for orange zest for spring fruits; watch sugar—orange sweeter. Crushing tapioca overlooked, no grit or lumps if fine; no tapioca, use cornstarch but less effective, tends to clump.
Common questions
Why crush tapioca first?
Coarse tapioca gritty if not crushed. Crushing makes grains fine. Thickens filling evenly. No lumps. Tapioca granules swell, hold juices. Crushing step skipped leads to uneven gel, clumps in texture. Use spice grinder or mortar; little extra work pays off.
Can I use frozen cherries?
Yes but thaw fully. Drain excess juice or filling gets too runny. Frozen cherry juices dilute filling, dilute sugar ratio too. Fresh better if firm, bouncy flesh. Frozen ones sometimes softer, leaks more. Adjust sugar to balance tartness. Tapioca still swells same. Keep in mind water content varies, watch bake time, texture.
Crust soggy after baking?
Check chill time of dough; not cold enough before rolling can cause sogginess. Egg wash missed edges seals moisture poorly. Baking temperature key; low heat or too fast browning outside, inside stays wet. Preheat oven fully. Bake on lower rack for crisp base. Try crimp edges to hold juices tighter. Allow resting time for filling to gel. Tray catches drips but protects oven too.
How to store leftovers?
Loosely cover room temp, avoid fridge if possible—fridge toughens crust. Eat within 2 days. Reheat gently to avoid drying crust. Chilling makes filling firm but crust soggy next day. If chilling overnight, bring to room temp before serving for softer crust feel. Wrap loosely—plastic traps moisture, lose crispness fast.
