You can recognize a pie from Lisa Ludwinski’s Sister Pie bakery by the crust and color.
The crust, with a thick, crimped decorative edge and adramatic rustic look, is unique. And thanks to Ludwinski's preference forusing European butter in the doughalong with a brushing of egg wash, the pies are a rich golden color and have a buttery taste and a flaky texture.
On Tuesday, Ludwinski's first cookbook, “Sister Pie: The Recipes & Stories of a Big-Hearted Bakery in Detroit” (Lorena Jones Books, $25), makes its debut. It shares the story of those distinctive pies and her beloved Sister Pie bakeryin Detroit's historic West Village.
Readers will likely be drawn in by the book's cover:a mouthwatering photoof a pie with a perfect golden-brown lattice crust. Inside are recipes with clear instructions and step-by-step photos for making dough, shaping crust and crimping edges.
The book is separated into two sections: pies and what Ludwinski calls “And Everything Else.”Within the 250 pages are 75 of Sister Pie's most popular recipes for sweet and savory pies as well as several hand pies. The “And Everything Else” chapters features cookies, breakfast scones,coffee cakes and salads.
For the most part, pulling together the filling for a pie is generally easy, but making and working with dough is something that petrifies people.Ludwinski calms that fear via a writing style that's breezy,conversational and concise.
Full-color photos accompany nearly every recipe, and there'sastory with each recipe. Ludwinski shares her basic pie dough recipe as well as recipes for doughwith add-ins like grated Gouda cheese and toasted pecans.
Ludwinski always enjoyed baking, but her eyes were opened to a new world of food and culture while shewas while living in New York to pursue a career as a theater director.
She worked atthe famed Momof*cku Milk Barand Four & Twenty Blackbirds. At the latter, she writes that she was “making and rolling out pie dough for glorious hours on end.“
After six years in New York, she returned home in 2012 and launchedher business, making Thanksgiving pies that year out of her parents' Milford home.Her goal, she writes, was to open “a good-food, do-good kind of place that emphasized the importance of happy employees and sustainable food-business practices."
Sister Pie, on the corner of Kercheval and Parker in Detroit, openedin 2015 after being awarded $50,000 in the 2014 Comerica Hatch contest, which givesstart-upsa chance toexpand. Since then, the bakery has gained plenty of accolades, everything from James Beard nominations to a huge shout-out a few years ago in Bon Appetit magazine with the headline "We'd Visit Detroit Just to Eat at This Pie Shop.”
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Ludwinski's mission, she says, was to have a business that would foster a sense of community, support employees and focus on sustainability.
And the name?
It stems from a nickname that she and her sister, Sarah, started calling each other. When she realized she wanted to start a food business, one of her favorite desserts— pie — came to mind.“And soI thought Sister Pie, well, that’s a great name,” Ludwinski says.
“Pie, by its nature inspired generosity — fundamentally, it’s meant to be shared," she writes in her book. "Plus, it’s pie. Everyone loves pie.”
We've had a peek at the book and tried a few of the recipes. Ludwinski chatted with the Free Press about it in advance of the Tuesday release.Heranswers have been edited forbrevityandclarity.
QUESTION: How did the book come about?
ANSWER: I was thinking about writing the book, and then it was a New Year’s resolution back in 2016. ... Then in March of that year, my editor, Lorena Jones, just happened to come to Sister Pie with her family and wrote me an e-mail out of the blue asking if I ever thought about writing a book.
Q: What made you do the book and give away your recipes?
A:I've always been very transparent. I thinkone of the reasons I wanted to start a business in the first place was to share the process of doing that every step of the way. That was really appealing to me because I just didn’t always feel like I knew a lot about the businesses I frequented. And wouldn'tit be nice just to know kind of what’s going on before you go to a place?I think it also builds a sense of community and kind of like we are all in this together.
Q: You recommend using European butter in the dough. Why?
A: The European-style, unsalted Plugra, is what we use. It hasa higher butterfat percentage than American style. It just gives it (the finished and baked crust) that little bit of extra flavorthat goes a long way.
Q: What is the purpose of the ice water and cider vinegar?
A: We freeze an inch of the water so the water gets really cold, then we pour a little apple cider vinegar in. Originally, a lot of people thought adding apple cider vinegar was this trick that would make the dough flakier, inhibit the gluten formation. ... Truth is, there isn’t a lot of science to back that up. But I really like the way the apple cider vinegar adds a nice tangy flavor to the pie. And sometimes it’s just fun to do something for tradition's sake, and that’s why we keep the apple cider vinegar in.
Q: What'sthe purpose of pounding the dough with the tapered rolling pin?
A: When rolling out pie dough, it should have rested for at least two hours in the fridgeso it's very cold. Pounding it with the rolling pin brings it up to room temperature slightly and begins the flattening process, making it easier to roll-out.
Q: You teachclasses, and you have the Pie-it-Forward program. What drives you?
A: I’m really interested in being a person who can help change. I think we as a business want to work for changing the norms of the restaurant and baking industry that oftendon’t pay their employees a lot andmany don’t always utilize good working practices. This place wouldn’t mean anything to me, none of this exciting stuff would mean anything to me, if I had employees who weren’t able to do the things they wanted to doand to at least feel like they have a good, safe, fun challengingenvironment to go to.
Q: Would you say you are living the dream?
A: It was never like this long-term dream of mine to open a bakery. It was a choice I made and I just started doing it.Then it become more of dream,because I think of my life pre- and post-Sister Pie;it’s just so different. I’ve grown and been challenged in doing this.It totally fills my life. It fillsmy heart. It gives me all sorts of challenges I never thought of before.I feel grateful to have a job and a place that consumes me in a good way.
Contact Susan Selasky at 313-22-6872 or sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.
Robert Redford Cookies
Makes: 18 large cookies / Prep time: 30 minutes (plus chilling time) / Total time: 1 hour
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup whole-wheat flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1⁄8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3⁄4 cup packed light brown sugar
3⁄4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup broken pretzel rods (½-inch pieces)
1 cup chopped milk chocolate (from your favorite bar)
½ cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling tops
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and whole-wheat flours, oats, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside. Place the butter and brown and granulated sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream on medium speed until hom*ogeneous and paste-like, about 4 minutes. You will see the mixture change from grainy and wet to fluffy and voluminous.
Add the eggs and vanilla and mix on medium speed until fully combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl thoroughly using a silicone spatula or bowl scraper andbeing sure to reach underneath the paddle. Add the flour mixture slowly and mix on low speed until the flour is almost completely incorporated. Add the pretzels, chopped chocolateand walnuts;mix until just combined.
Scrape the cookie dough from the bowl onto a big sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap the dough tightly and transfer to your refrigerator, where it should rest for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days. Alternatively, you may freeze the dough for up to 3 months, then let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight before proceeding with the recipe.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Take the dough out of the refrigerator 2 to 3 hours before baking. Once it’s pretty darn soft, use a 1⁄4-cup measureto portion the dough into 2-inch balls. Place on the baking sheets. Slightly flatten each cookie with your palm and top with a few flakes of the sea salt. Transfer the baking sheets to the oven and bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until the edges are just slightly golden.
Remove the baking sheets from the oven and transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
“Sister Pie: The Recipes & Stories of a Big-Hearted Bakery in Detroit” (Lorena Jones Books, $25).
Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.
Apple Sage Gouda Pie
Makes: one 9-inch pie / Prep time: 45 minutes / Total time: 2½hours (plus cooling time)
FILLING
2 pounds Northern Spy, Idared, or Golden Delicious apples, peeled and sliced ¼-inch thick
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
3⁄4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
1⁄4 cup packed light brown sugar
1⁄4 cup tapioca starch
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 disc Aged Gouda Pie Dough, rolled out and fitted (but uncrimped) into a 9-inch pie pan and refrigerated
6 lattice stripsmade with Aged Gouda Pie Dough, placed on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerated
1 teaspoon turbinado sugar mixed with1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
1 large egg, beaten
Make the filling: Transfer the apples to a large mixing bowl and toss with the lemon juice. In a medium bowl, combine the granulated sugar and sage, massaging together with your fingertips. Add the brown sugar, tapioca starch, cinnamon, nutmegand salt. Add to the apples and toss with your hands until evenly distributed.
When you’re ready to assemble the pie, remove the unbaked crust and lattice strips from the refrigerator (see note on rolling out the dough). Sprinkle the turbinado sugar-flour mixture all over the bottom of the crust. Layer the apples on top, being careful not to mound them in the center. Dot the apples with butter cubes.
Place one strip of lattice across the center of the pie. Take another strip and lay it on top, perpendicular to the first one, creating a cross. Lay the next two strips on either side of the first strip you laid down, so they are parallel to both each other and the original strip. Next, working with the original strip, fold back both ends toward the center, and then place the last two lattice strips down on either side of the second (perpendicular) strip. Fold the original strip back down, so that it lies across and on top of the newly placed strips. It should look like a woven lattice. Tear off the ends of the lattice pieces so they are flush with the perimeter of the tin. Roll the edge of the crust in, sealing the lattice. Crimp, being careful to push the crimps down and into the pie, as opposed to keeping them too loose on the edge.
Put the assembled pie in the freezer for a 15-minute rest.
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the pie from the freezer, place on the baking sheet, and brush the lattice and crimped edge with the beaten egg. Transfer the baking sheet with the pie on it to the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crust is evenly golden brown. Turn the temperature down to 325 degrees and continue to bake for 50 to 70 minutes, until the pie juices are bubbling in the center.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool for 4 to 6 hours. When the pie is at room temperature, slice it into 6 to 8 pieces and serve.
Store leftover piewrapped in plastic wrap or under a pie domeat room temperature for up to 2 days.
Rolling out the dough:Take one disc of dough straight from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured work surface, place unwrapped pie dough. Using a tapered rolling pin, begin by banging the dough from the left to the right, striking the dough about four times. Rotate the dough 180 degrees and bang across the dough from left to right once more. Roll out and fit into a 9-inch pie plate with a 2½-to 3-inch overhang and refrigerate. Remove the other disc of dough;roll out and cut into 6 strips of dough at least 2 incheswide. Transfer to the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble the pie.
“Sister Pie: The Recipes & Stories of a Big-Hearted Bakery in Detroit” (Lorena Jones Books, $25).
Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.
Aged Gouda Pie Dough
Makes: enough for one 9-inch lattice-topped pie / Prep time: 30 minutes (plus chilling time) / Total time:1 hour
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted European-style butter, straight from the fridge
1 ounce aged Gouda, grated
½ cup ice-cold water-vinegar mixture, or more if needed (see note)
In a large stainless-steel bowl, combine the flour, sugarand salt;stir to mix well. Place the sticks of butter in the bowl and coat on all sides with flour. Using a bench scraper, cut the butter into ½-inch cubes. Work quickly to separate the cubes with your hands until they are all lightly coated in the flour mixture. Grabthat bench scraper once again and cut each cube in half.
Switch to the pastry blender and begin to cut in the butter with one hand while turning the bowl with the other. It’s important not to aim for the same spot at the bottom of the bowl with each stroke of the pastry blender, but to actually slice through butter every time to maximize efficiency. Continue to blend and turn until the largest pieces are the size and shape of peas and the rest of the mixturefeels and looks freakishly similar to canned Parmesan cheese.
Add the Gouda and mix it in quickly with the pastry blender until it is evenly distributed.
At this point, add the water-vinegar mixture all at onceand switch back to the bench scraper. Scrape as much of the mixture as you can from one side of the bowl to the otheruntil you can’t see visible pools of liquid anymore.
Scoop up as much of the mixture as you canand use the tips of your fingers (and a whole lot of pressure) to press it back down onto the rest of the ingredients. Rotate the bowl a quarter-turn and repeat.
Scoop, press, and turn. With each fold, your intention is to be quickly forming the mixture into one cohesive mass. Remember to incorporate any dry, floury bits that have congregated at the bottom of the bowl. Once those are completely gone and the dough is formed, it’s time to stop.
Remove the dough from the bowl. Place it on a lightly floured counterand use your bench scraper to divide it into two equal pieces. Gently pat one into a 2-inch-thick disc, working quickly to seal any broken edges before wrapping it tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap. Pat the other half into a 6-by-3-inch rectangle.
Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or, ideally, overnight. When you go to roll out the crust, you want the disc to feel as hard and cold as the butter did when you removed it from the fridge to make the dough. This will make the roll-out way easier.
You can keep the pie dough in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer for up to 1 year. If frozen, remove the dough and place in the refrigerator to thaw one full day before you intend to use it.
Cook's note: For the vinegar mixture, fill a 1-cup liquid measuring cup with about 1-inch of water and freeze until frozen. Once you've mixed the dry ingredients, remove the cup from the freezer andfill with water plus 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar. Let it chill while you mix the other ingredients for the dough.
From“Sister Pie: The Recipes & Stories of a Big-Hearted Bakery in Detroit” (Lorena Jones Books, $25).
Tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.
'Sister Pie' book signing events with Lisa Ludwinski
• Pages Bookshop,19560 Grand River Avenue, Detroit; 313-473-7342: 6 p.m. Oct. 4.
• Source Booksellers,4240 Cass Ave #105, Detroit; 313-832-1155:6 p.m. Oct. 5.
• Folk,1701 Trumbull Ave, Detroit; 313-290-5849:6 p.m. Oct. 7.Snacks and drinks available.
• Frame, 23839 John R, #2, Hazel Park:Book launch and dinner with 6 and 9 p.m. seatings Oct. 9. The dinner will be prepared by Chef Kate Williams of the Lady of the House with a Sister Pie dessert paired with each course. Tickets are $65 plus tax and service fee. You can buy the book for $25 when purchasing tickets. For tickets:https://www.framehazelpark.com/experience/sister-pie-book-launch-dinner-with-kate-williams/
• Acorn Farm, 367 N. Main Street, Milford; 248-684-1373:The kitchenware and home goods storewill host Prosecco, Peaches and Pie reception 6:30-8:30 p.m. Oct. 11. AProsecco co*cktail will be paired with pie at this event. Tickets are $15 each. Or you can buy a cookbook along with the ticket and save $5 off the book list prices. https://www.acornfarmmi.com/events/2018/10/11/prosecco-peaches-pie
