Apple Pie
Saucy, sugary, cinnamon-laced apples, bubbling through buttery, flaky pastry. This is the easiest, best apple pie you will ever make.
This recipe was written for the Arizona Republic.
Apple pie isn’t a complicated dessert, just make sure you follow my ingredient and technique recommendations! We’ll start with the apples. Use Granny Smith – they’re tart and firm, which means they hold their shape during baking. Plus, the tartness marries well with the sugar and spices. In a pinch, you can use Honeycrisp, Jazz, Jonagold, Braeburn, or Pink Lady. Take note, they’re sweeter than Granny Smiths; a sweetness that’s amplified during baking.
Now for the pie crusts!
Use cold butter and ice-cold water to ensure your butter doesn’t soften during handling. Visible bits of butter in the pastry is the objective. As the butter melts during baking, it creates steam and air pockets. When the dough cools, these air pockets become light, flaky layers.
Refrigerate your dough before rolling out. Chilled dough yields the flakiest crust. Refrigerate the dough, tightly wrapped in plastic, for at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days before rolling out. You can also freeze the dough for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling out. Roll the dough out to 1/8-inch thickness. This is the ideal thickness for pie crust!
Flour your work surface. There’s nothing worse than a perfectly rolled-out pie crust that’s perfectly stuck to the counter. Generously flour your work surface before rolling out the dough, add more flour as needed, and rotate your dough frequently to ensure it’s not sticking.
Use a deep-dish pie plate. This recipe calls for a lot of apples. Seven to be exact. Apple pie should be brimming with apples so grab your deep-dish pie plate and pile those apples in.
Bake in the center of your oven. The middle of your oven is where heat and air circulate evenly, so place your pie on the middle oven rack to promote even baking and prevent over-browning the crust.
Create a pie shield. In some cases (not all) the edges of apple pie over-brown before the pie is finished baking. Create a shield to rim the edges of the pie by folding a 38-inch piece of aluminum foil in half lengthwise two times. Use this 38×3-inch strip of foil to cover the edges for the first 20 minutes of baking – when the pie is still cold (this prevents burning your hands) and when the oven temperature is the highest.
Start with a hot oven, then reduce the temperature. Start baking your pie at 400 degrees, then reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees after 20 minutes. Why? A hot start ensures golden, flaky – not soggy – pastry. Let your pie cool before slicing. As tempting as that apple pie is, let it cool for at least 2 hours before cutting into it. The starches in the filling will thicken and gel as the pie cools, making it easier to slice. Don’t worry, the pie will still be delightfully warm.
Bake the pie ahead if needed. This apple pie can be prepared and baked in advance, which makes it great for the holidays. Store the pie, loosely covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days. You can also cover the pie and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Make your pie crust by hand if you want. While the food processor makes quick work of pastry-making, you can make the dough by hand. To do so, freeze your cut-up butter for 10 minutes before using. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold butter and toss to combine. Working quickly, use your fingers to break the butter into pea-size pieces. Add a few tablespoons of the ice-cold water and toss to moisten. Continue adding the water, a few tablespoons at a time, and toss until the dough sticks together; it will look crumbly but will stick together when pressed between two fingers. You may not need all the water. Transfer the dough to a clean work surface and press together until you have a cohesive mound. Halve the dough with a bench scraper or sharp knife. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and shape into a 4-inch disk. Refrigerate the disks for at least 1 hour before rolling out.
Apple Pie
Ingredients
For the Pie Crusts
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks cold unsalted butter, 1 cup, cut into small cubes
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup ice-cold water, add ice cubes to make sure the water’s cold
For the Pie Filling
- 7 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 16 slices per apple)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup loosely packed light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
- 1-2 teaspoons sugar for sprinkling over top, optional (if desired, use coarse sugar, turbinado sugar, or sanding sugar – I used turbinado sugar)
Equipment
Instructions
- To prepare the pastry, place your cubed butter in the freezer for 10 minutes. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the 3 cups of flour, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, and salt. Pulse a few times to combine.
- Add the cold butter and pulse on and off until the butter pieces are uniform in size, and about pea-size. Add a few tablespoons of the ice-cold water pulse a few times (briefly) to moisten.
- Continue adding the water, a few tablespoons at a time, and pulse until the dough sticks together; it will look crumbly but will stick together when pressed between two fingers. You may not need all the water.
- Transfer the dough to a clean work surface and press together until you have a cohesive mound. Halve the dough with a bench scraper or sharp knife.
- Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and shape into a 4-inch disk. Refrigerate the disks for at least 1 hour before rolling out.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- To prepare the filling, in a large bowl, combine the sliced apples, lemon juice, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, 3 tablespoons of flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Toss to coat the apples evenly.
- To assemble the pie, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes, or until soft enough to roll out.
- Roll one disk of dough out on a floured work surface until about 12 inches in diameter and 1/8-inch thick. Rotate the dough often to ensure it’s not sticking and is of even thickness. Add more flour to your work surface and rolling pin as needed. Carefully transfer your dough to a deep-dish pie plate, allowing the excess dough to hang over the sides.
- Roll out the second disk of dough the same way and leave it on your work surface.
- Spoon the apple mixture over the bottom crust; if there are any juices at the bottom of the bowl, drizzle about 3 tablespoons over the apples and discard the rest. Arrange the second pie crust over top. If necessary, trim any excess dough so the top and bottom crusts are equal. Pinch the two crusts together to seal, then fold them under all the way around the edge of the pie. If desired, use your fingers or a fork to create a decorative edge. You can also use the scraps to create decorations (such as leaves).
- Cut 4 slits in the top of the pie to allow steam to vent during baking. Place the pie on a baking sheet.
- Brush the egg wash all over the pie – top and edges. If you’re adding decorations, add them after the egg wash and brush them with egg wash. Sprinkle the top with sugar if using.
- Fold a 38-inch piece of aluminum foil in half lengthwise two times. Use this 38×3-inch strip of foil to cover the edge of the pie.
- Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the pie shield, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake for 30 to 40 more minutes, until the top is golden brown, and the juices are bubbling through the steam vents. Cool at room temperature for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving.