There’s something wonderfully nostalgic about a proper picnic pie, and this Ploughman’s Pork & Cheese version is no exception. Made with hot water crust pastry, it was baked at a Village Bakers Baking Masterclass where we focused on traditional skills and confidence with classic techniques.

Robust, satisfying, and packed with flavour, it’s the kind of bake made for sharing. Perfect for picnics, lunch tables, or cutting into with friends, this pie is a celebration of timeless British baking at its best.

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 
2. Make the pastry by bringing the lard and water to the boil in a pan. Add the flour and salt into a bowl and mix in the lard and water mixture, until you have a smooth dough. Wrap in cling flim and leave to cool to handling temperature. 
3. Divide the dough into 2, on a lightly floured surface, take a ball of dough and take 1/3rd off to form the lid later. Take the ball of dough and work with your hands to make a circular disc. 
4. Using a floured dolly or a wine bottle, place this on the centre of the dough disc and lightly push down to form and even thin base. 
5. Using your hands work the pastry up the side of the dolly to form the pie base.
6. Work the base off the dolly, ensuring it stands upright. 
7. Repeat this with the other dough ball. 
8. To make the filling, mix the sausage meat, shredded ham, shredded chicken, dice pickled sliver skin onions, mustard and chopped tarragon together. Season with salt and black pepper.
9. Layer some of the sausage meat into the base of the 2 pies, then layer on the red Leicester and then add the final layer of sausage meat. 
10. Take the reserved lid pastry, and roll it out form the disc for the lid. 
11. Brush some water around the rim of the pie and add the pastry lid to the top. 
12. Crimp the lid by pinching the lid and pastry walls together. 
13. Place on top of baking parchment on a baking sheet. Brush the lid with the beaten egg. 
14. Bake in oven for 30 mins, then turn the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and cook for 20 mins until the sides are set and tops a deep golden colour. Remove and cool on a wire rack.

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