Tomato Pie

makes 2 pies; each serves 6–8

Yes, you’ll want to make 2 pies; wrap and freeze leftover slices for a taste of summer in January.

Pie Dough
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 cup cold unsalted butter, diced
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Filling
6 tomatoes, sliced thin, dried thoroughly with paper towels
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (reserve grease)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, gouda, pepper jack)
1 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh herbs
Salt and pepper to taste

Make the dough: Whisk together flour and salt. Add diced butter and work it into the flour with your hands or a pastry blender until it’s well distributed but not fully incorporated. Pea-sized pieces of butter will be scattered throughout mixture. Using a fork or your fingers, drizzle in ice water and stir to combine. Stop adding water when dough starts to come together, and grab it with your hands. If it holds together easily without crumbling, it’s ready. If it has dry spots or pieces break off easily, add a bit more water until it’s cohesive.

Gather dough into a ball, and divide it in half; shape each half into a disk. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling. If dough has been refrigerated longer than 30 minutes, let it sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes, until it rolls easily.

While dough is chilling, sauté onions in reserved bacon grease until translucent. Let cool. In a bowl, combine onions, bacon, cheese, mayo, and herbs; season with salt and pepper.  

When dough is ready, roll each disk to a thickness of about 1/8 in. Transfer each round to a 9-inch springform pan. Make sure dough is pressed all the way to the top.

In each pie shell, place a layer of tomatoes, overlapping slightly; season with salt and pepper. Spread about 1/2 cup of cheese/mayo mixture evenly, then add another layer of tomatoes. Continue alternating layers until you’ve used all tomatoes and cheese mixture and have 3 or 4 layers of each.

Preheat oven to 350°; bake pies for 35–45 minutes. Internal temperature should reach 165°. Let cool, remove from pans and slice into wedges.