This delicious cherry pie features a flaky homemade pie crust and a flavorful cherry filling made from frozen cherries. It's perfect when fresh cherries aren't in season.
Whisk the flour, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the cold cubed butter and use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. 312 g all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 225 g unsalted butter
Add the yogurt and stir with a fork to bring the dough together. Add cold water a teaspoon at a time until the dough just holds together when pressed. It should not be sticky or wet. 120 g natural yogurt, Ice-water as needed
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a rough rectangle. Roll into a 10-inch (25cm) rectangle, fold in thirds like a letter, turn 90°, and roll and fold once more.
Divide into two equal portions and shape each into a flat disc. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
Make the filling
Combine the frozen cherries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, almond extract, and salt in a large saucepan. Stir to combine. 1 kg dark cherries, 135 g granulated sugar, 28 g cornstarch, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon almond extract, ½ teaspoon salt
Place over low heat and stir occasionally until the cherries release their liquid and start to thaw. Turn the heat to medium and continue stirring. Take care not to crush the cherries too much.
Once the mixture starts to bubble, stir continuously for around 2 minutes until it turns thick and glossy and loses its cloudy appearance.
Pour into a large bowl and leave to cool completely to room temperature before assembling. The filling can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated.
Assemble and bake
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
On a lightly floured surface, roll one dough disc into a 12-inch (30cm) circle. Lightly dust the top with flour, roll it up onto the rolling pin, then unroll it over a 9-inch pie dish. Press it gently into the dish and let it overhang the edges.
Spoon the cooled cherry filling into the crust and spread evenly. Dot the small cubes of butter over the top. 28 g butter
Roll the second dough disc into a 12-inch (30cm) circle. Either lay it over the top as a full crust and cut a few vents, or cut it into strips for a lattice. Trim any excess, then fold the overhang under itself and crimp to seal.
Whisk the egg and water together and brush over the top crust. Large egg + 1 tablespoon water
Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven to 350°F (180°C) and bake for a further 60 minutes until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is visibly bubbling through the vents in thick slow bubbles. If the crust edges brown too quickly, cover them loosely with foil.
Cool on a wire rack for at least 4 hours before slicing.
Notes
Cherries: dark sweet frozen cherries work best here. No need to thaw them first. If using sour cherries, increase the sugar to taste.Almond extract: this really makes a difference to the cherry flavor. Vanilla extract can be used as a sub but the flavor will be milder.Make ahead: the filling can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. The pie dough can be made up to 2 days ahead or frozen for up to 3 months.Store-bought crust: store-bought pie crust works fine here if you're short on time.Both US customary and metric measurements are provided. Use the toggle to switch between the two.