Southern Buttermilk Pie

Before you start

Buttermilk pie tastes like a cross between cheesecake and a sugar custard. Cultured buttermilk gives the filling a gentle sourness that keeps a large amount of sugar from feeling heavy, and a little flour makes the texture creamy rather than jiggly. During baking a thin, sweet skin forms on top and browns in patches, which is part of its charm.

Use full-fat or low-fat cultured buttermilk, shaken well; the thick, tangy kind gives the best flavor. Room-temperature eggs and buttermilk blend smoothly with the melted butter, while cold ones can make the butter seize into flecks. The pie is done when the edges are puffed and set and the middle quivers slightly. Like other custard pies, it finishes setting as it cools and should be refrigerated once it reaches room temperature.

Ingredients

• Crust165 g (1⅓ cups) all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 115 g (½ cup) unsalted butter — cold, cubed
• 60–75 ml (4–5 tbsp) ice water
• Filling85 g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter — melted and cooled to warm
• 250 g (1¼ cups) granulated sugar
• 25 g (3 tbsp) all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• 3 large eggs — room temperature
• 240 ml (1 cup) cultured buttermilk — room temperature, shaken
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg — plus more for dusting

Method

1. Make the dough by cutting the butter into the flour, salt and sugar, then tossing with ice water until it holds together. Wrap the disk and chill for 1 hour.
2. Roll to a 30 cm (12 in) round, line the pie plate and crimp a tall edge. Freeze for 15 minutes while the oven heats to 200°C (400°F).
3. Line the shell with parchment and weights and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and bake for 5 to 7 minutes more, until the bottom no longer looks wet. Lower the oven to 175°C (350°F).
4. Whisk the sugar, flour and salt together. Whisk in the melted butter, then the eggs one at a time until smooth.
5. Add the buttermilk, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla and nutmeg and whisk gently until uniform. The filling will be thin.
6. Put the warm crust on a baking sheet, pour in the filling, and dust the top lightly with nutmeg.
7. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the top is golden in spots, the edges are puffed, and the center 5 cm (2 in) quivers slightly when nudged. A thermometer in the middle should read about 80°C (175°F).
8. Cool on a rack for 2 hours. Serve at room temperature, or refrigerate for an hour for a firmer, cheesecake-like slice.

Tips for success

• Mix by hand. A mixer whips in air that rises into a spongy top layer.
• If the edges of the crust brown before the filling sets, cover them with a foil ring for the rest of the bake.
• Fresh berries or macerated strawberries are a classic pairing; their acidity matches the buttermilk tang.

Substitutions

Cultured buttermilk

Whisk 180 ml plain yogurt with 60 ml milk. The pie is a little thicker and tangier; avoid soured milk, which is too thin.

Lemon zest and juice

Leave them out for a plainer, nutmeg-forward pie, or use orange zest for a softer citrus note.

All-purpose flour in the filling

Use 2 tbsp cornstarch for a slightly silkier, more translucent custard.

Variations

Brown butter buttermilk

Brown the 85 g butter until nutty, cool it to warm, and use it in place of plain melted butter.

Buttermilk pie bars

Bake the filling on a pressed shortbread base in a 20 cm (8 in) square pan for 30 to 35 minutes.

Troubleshooting

Butter flecks floated to the top

Cold eggs or buttermilk chilled the melted butter. Bring both to room temperature and keep the butter warm, not hot.

Filling curdled and watery

Overbaked. Take the pie out while the center still moves slightly and let carryover heat finish it.

Soggy crust

Partly bake the crust until the bottom looks dry before adding the thin filling.

Storage

Refrigerate once cool, covered, for up to 4 days. Do not leave it out more than 2 hours after cooling. Freezing is possible for up to 1 month, but the custard becomes slightly weepy when thawed.

Safety notes

Contains eggs; bake the custard until set and keep leftovers cold. Contains wheat, egg and milk.