In this strawberry rhubarb slab pie, the classic pairing of strawberries and rhubarb gets a bright lift from lime zest and fresh lime juice. The filling turns jammy and sweet while the citrus adds a fresh, lively note. The pie is finished with an interwoven lattice of dough strips, brushed with an egg wash and sprinkled with coarse turbinado sugar for crunch.
The aroma while this pie bakes is irresistible—warm strawberries and buttery crust that practically announce summer. I’ve been meaning to make a slab pie for a while; the rectangular, sheet-pan approach is a clever way to highlight the crust and serve more people with a single bake.
A slab pie reminds me of the sheet-pan pastries you find in bakeries, but in sweet form. Because the pan spreads the filling more thinly than a deep round pie, the crust-to-filling ratio shifts in favor of pastry. That makes it essential to use a crust that bakes up flaky and flavorful and a filling that delivers concentrated taste so it isn’t overwhelmed by pastry.
I used a reliable all-butter pie dough adapted from the Sister Pie method. The dough rolls and handles beautifully, which makes creating lattice strips and braids easy. It bakes to flaky, layered perfection and tastes rich and buttery.
For this pie I wanted a lattice top so the bright strawberry and rhubarb filling remains visible. The filling is juicy and fragrant, and the lattice lets the juices bubble up and caramelize on the crust, creating delicious sticky-sweet edges.
My lattice is a mix of thick strips, three-strand braids, and delicate thin strips, all anchored by a crimped outer edge. Once you know the basics of lattice work, the decorative possibilities are endless: you can keep it simple or build a more intricate design by adding braids and narrower strips as accents.
If you want to practice decorative techniques, look for tutorials on making lattice pie crusts. The core idea is to cut consistent strips, chill them, and weave them over the filling so the pie bakes evenly.
Why make a slab pie?
A slab pie is the perfect dessert for a crowd. Made in a quarter sheet pan (roughly 9 x 13 inches) it yields many slices with minimal extra effort. Depending on how you cut it, you can get 12–15 servings. It’s easy to serve—and even easy to eat by hand if you prefer.
Recipe notes
- Quarter sheet pan – A quarter sheet pan is about 9 x 13 inches with low rims, different from a deep 9 x 13 baking pan. A proper quarter sheet pan makes working with slab pies much easier.
- Pie dough – For generous lattice work I recommend making extra dough. Doubling a standard single-pie dough gives you more margin for decorative strips, braids, and minor mistakes while assembling the top.
- Egg wash – Brushing the crust with egg wash yields a glossy, golden top. If the lattice browns quickly, tent the pie with foil for the remainder of the bake to prevent over-browning.
- Turbinado sugar – Coarse turbinado gives the crust a sparkling crunch. If you don’t have turbinado, a light sprinkle of granulated sugar will also work.
More pie recipes
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Blueberry Pie with Frozen Blueberries -
Cherry Rhubarb Pie
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Rhubarb Apple Pie
-
Peach Galette with Cornmeal Frangipane
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📖 Recipe
Strawberry Rhubarb Slab Pie
A flavor-packed slab pie made with floral strawberries, bright rhubarb, and fresh lime zest. Slab pies highlight a flaky, all-butter crust and are ideal for serving a crowd.
Author: Kathleen Culver
Cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes (plus chilling time)
Servings: 12 slices
Ingredients
Sister Pie’s All-Butter Pie Dough
- 5 cups (600 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp (8 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp (12 g) kosher salt
- 2 cups (552 g, 16 oz) unsalted butter, chilled
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) vinegar (apple cider or white)
- 1 cup (250 mL) cold water (minus 2 Tbsp)
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Filling
- 2 ½ cups (about 400 g) strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 3 ¾ cups (about 450 g) rhubarb, fresh and diced
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- Zest of 1 large lime
- 2 Tbsp lime juice (about ½ large lime)
- ⅓ cup (40 g) tapioca flour
Egg wash (optional)
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
- ¼ to ½ cup turbinado sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
Making the dough
- Pour 2 Tbsp vinegar into a 1-cup measure, fill the rest with water, and chill briefly so the liquid stays very cold but still liquid.
- In a large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.
- Cut chilled butter into 16 pieces and toss with the flour. Use a pastry blender or similar tool to cut butter into the flour until pieces are pea-sized.
- Add the ice-cold water-vinegar mixture and use a bench scraper or spatula to bring the dough together into a rough mass. Lift the edges inward and press to form a rough ball with no dry bits left.
- Divide dough into two rectangles, wrap tightly, and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
Rolling out the bottom crust and lattice
- On a lightly floured surface, pound one rectangle of dough a few times with a rolling pin, then roll into a rectangle about 11 x 15 inches so it will overhang the sheet pan by a few inches.
- Fold the dough gently and transfer to a 9 x 13 quarter sheet pan, centering and pressing into the base and corners. Chill on a supporting half sheet pan to keep the overhang steady.
- Roll the second disc the same way and cut lattice strips about ¾ inch wide. For braids or thin strips, cut some strips into thirds (about ¼ inch each) and braid or use as accents. Chill strips on parchment until ready to assemble.
Mixing the pie filling
- In a large bowl combine strawberries, rhubarb, lime zest, lime juice, sugar, and tapioca starch. Gently fold until evenly blended. Pour into the chilled bottom crust and spread to an even layer.
Assembling the lattice
- Lay half of the lattice strips diagonally across the filled pie with about 1 inch overhang on each side. Fold back alternating strips and place a perpendicular strip to begin weaving. Continue weaving in an alternating pattern until the lattice is complete.
- Trim lattice ends to meet the sheet pan edge, fold the bottom crust over the trimmed lattice ends, and crimp the edge to seal. Chill the assembled pie at least 30 minutes before baking.
Baking the pie
- Preheat oven to 400°F and position a rack in the lower third.
- If using egg wash, beat the egg with cream and gently brush the exposed crust. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
- Place the pie on a rimmed sheet pan lined with foil to catch spills. Bake on the lower rack for 30 minutes, then tent with foil and bake another 30 minutes. Continue baking until the filling is bubbling in the center—this may require an additional 15 minutes for a total of about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let the pie cool until warm so the filling can set before slicing.
- Slice and serve.
