Although the apple version gets all the attention, strawberry pandowdy is the dark horse variation of this classic dessert that may just really knock your socks off. As the strawberries roast under their casual pastry roof, they become almost candy-like in their intensity. And once the buttery pastry is pressed down into those brightly bubbling strawberry juices half way through baking, the result is a gorgeous mélange of golden crust and ruby red filling. Strawberry pandowdy is truly one irresistible confection, particularly when topped with a generous scoop of good vanilla ice cream. This version is a particularly great choice in the summer, when mountains of fresh berries abound. But it is also handy for strawberries that need a little extra help in the winter. I suspect Dinah Shore and June Christy would heartily agree.
The pastry for strawberry pandowdy is a cinch to prepare...all you need is a simple batch of butter pie crust.
Ingredients for Strawberry Pandowdy
- butter pie crust
- fresh strawberries
- sugar
- kosher salt
- cornstarch
- lemon juice
- pure vanilla extract
- egg
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
First prepare the crust dough using the recipe for butter pie crust. Set the dough aside to rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour or up to overnight. (Since you only need enough dough for the equivalent of a single crust, you can half the recipe if you like...but I recommend simply freezing the remaining half for future use.)
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Using a sharp knife or pizza wheel, then cut the dough into very rough squares about 2 x 2 inches in size.
Place the dough squares on a baking sheet (or half sheets) and refrigerate them for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, heat the oven to 400℉ and prepare the strawberries.
Clean and hull the strawberries. Then slice the small and medium ones in half and the large ones into quarters.
Place the strawberries in a large bowl and add the sugar, salt, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla.
Toss the mixture well to combine, making sure there are no visible traces of cornstarch before you proceed. Then transfer the strawberry mixture to a deep pie plate (or other baking dish).
Arrange the chilled dough over the top of the strawberries, working around the pie plate in roughly concentric circles and slightly layering the edges of the squares like shingles on a roof.
Lightly beat the egg in a small bowl to make an egg wash. Brush the egg wash thoroughly over the top of the crust dough. Then sprinkle a light coating of sugar across the entire surface.
Bake for 15 minutes. Then remove the pandowdy from the oven. Using a large spoon, press down on the center of the crust and smoosh it into the fruit below until the juices begin to seep up.
Repeat this motion with the spoon every few inches around the perimeter of the dish, about 4 or 5 times. (It will look like a real mess at this point, but have faith... that means you are doing it right.)
Put the pandowdy back in the oven for about another 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the strawberry juices are bubbling up around the edges in a deep ruby shade of red.
Serve warm or at room temperature, along with good vanilla ice cream on top.
Hint: It is a very good idea to place a foil covered baking sheet underneath the pandowdy while it is baking, just in case any of that sticky filling bubbles up a bit too exuberantly and drips over the sides here and there. (And yes, I learned this the hard way...though at least I can report that the scent of charred strawberries wafting up from the bottom of my oven was oddly pleasant in a fruity way.)
Equipment
I prefer to bake my pandowdy in a deep ceramic pie plate, since it makes for a pretty presentation from oven to table. But almost any baking dish will do, just as long as it has a minimum capacity of 1.5 quarts and is broad enough to accommodate a layer of butter pie crust dough arranged like roof shingles across the top.
Storage
Strawberry pandowdy is best eaten while still warm from the oven, but it will keep for a few days at room temperature. Just cover it loosely with plastic wrap.
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Pandowdy
Ingredients
- ½ recipe butter pie crust
- 32 ounces fresh strawberries cleaned and hulled
- ½ cup sugar (plus a bit more for sprinkling over the top)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 egg beaten
Instructions
- First prepare the crust dough using the recipe for butter pie crust. Set the dough aside to rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour or up to overnight. (Since you only need enough dough for the equivalent of a single crust, you can half the recipe if you like...but I recommend simply freezing the remaining half for future use.)
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Using a sharp knife or pizza wheel, then cut the dough into very rough squares about 2 x 2 inches in size. Place the dough squares on a baking sheet (or half sheets) and refrigerate them for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, heat the oven to 400℉ and prepare the strawberries.
- Clean and hull the strawberries. Then slice the small and medium ones in half and the large ones into quarters.
- Place the strawberries in a large bowl and add the sugar, salt, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla. Toss the mixture well to combine, making sure there are no visible traces of cornstarch before you proceed.
- Transfer the strawberry mixture to a deep pie plate (or other baking dish with a minimum 1.5 quart capacity).
- Arrange the chilled dough over the top of the strawberries, working around the pie plate in roughly concentric circles and slightly layering the edges of the squares like shingles on a roof.
- Lightly beat the egg in a small bowl to make an egg wash. Brush the egg wash thoroughly over the top of the crust dough. Then sprinkle a light coating of sugar across the entire surface.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Then remove the pandowdy from the oven. Using a large spoon, press down on the center of the crust and smoosh it into the fruit below until the juices begin to seep up. Repeat this motion with the spoon every few inches around the perimeter of the dish, about 4 or 5 times.
- Put the pandowdy back in the oven and bake for about another 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the strawberry juices are bubbling up around the edges in a deep ruby shade of red.
- Serve warm or at room temperature, along with good vanilla ice cream on top.
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