Sweet Cherry Pie for Wood Burning Ovens

Wood burning ovens are as good for baking sweet dishes as they are for savory ones. The unique and tasty flavor profiles that come from wood burning ovens allow for more rich and textured flavored desserts than you would ever get from a gas or electric oven. The reason for this comes from the wood smoke and the natural components of the wood that get released upon burning. Anything baked with certain types of wood will naturally absorb some of the flavors. This results in unique but exciting tastes and an even more flaky crust than you've had before. Below is a great recipe for Sweet Cherry Pie which would turn out wonderfully in a wood burning oven like a Forno Classic.

Sweet Cherry Pie

Makes 1 double-crusted pie 

Dough:

2 2/3 cup flour

1 tsp. salt

1 cup shortening

7-8 Tbsp. cold water 

Mix flour, salt, and shortening; cut in with pastry or fingers. Add water

and roll into a ball. You may refrigerate or roll out right away. 

Filling:

6-7 cups halved and pitted sweet Bing cherries, fresh or frozen

2 ripe plums, washed, halved and pitted

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

3/4 cup sugar

3 Tbsp. cornstarch 

Process plums and 1 cup of cherries in a food processor until smooth;

strain through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl. Mix in remaining cherries,

lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch, and stir until thoroughly mixed. Let rest for

10 minutes. 

Putting it together:

Extra flour for rolling out dough

2 Tbsp. butter, cut into small cubes

2 Tbsp. milk

2 Tbsp. sugar 

Preheat oven to 350OF and place a baking sheet or large metal casserole

on lowest rack of oven. Divide dough in half and roll out one half on a floured

surface. Place in a 9- or 10-inch deep dish pie plate. Pour in filling and even out

on top. Place butter cubes over filling. Roll out second half of dough and place

over filling. Trim top crust to 1 inch of overhang. Trim bottom crust to 2 inches

of overhang. Fold bottom overhang over top overhang and crimp as desired. Cut

small slits in the center or poke all over with a fork. Brush with milk and sprinkle

with sugar. Place pie on another oven rack above the baking sheet or metal

casserole. Bake for 1 hour or until top crust is golden-brown.