Classic Apple Pie
There is no secret ingredient, only patience. You want the apples to hold their shape while the crust turns from pale dough to deep, toasted gold.
Temperature is your only enemy.
If the butter melts before it hits the oven, the crust will be tough. Keep your hands cool and your water ice-cold.
- 9-inch pie plate
- Rolling pin
- Large mixing bowl
- Pastry cutter or two forks
- Paring knife
What goes in.
- 2 1/2 cupsall-purpose flour
- 1 cupunsalted butter, frozen and cubed
- 1 tspsalt
- 6 tbspice water
- 3 lbGranny Smith apples, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 3/4 cupgranulated sugar
- 2 tbspall-purpose flour
- 1 tspcinnamon
Preserve the Butter Pebbles
Use a pastry cutter to work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal with a few pea-sized butter chunks remaining. Those chunks create the steam pockets that give the pastry its structure.
The method.
Prepare the dough
Whisk flour and salt. Cut in the butter. Gradually add ice water, tossing with a fork until the dough barely holds together. Divide in two, flatten into disks, wrap, and chill for at least an hour.
Assemble the filling
In a large bowl, toss the apple slices with sugar, flour, and cinnamon until evenly coated.
Roll and fill
Roll the first disk on a floured surface and drape over the pie plate. Pour in the apples. Roll the second disk and place it over the fruit. Trim the edges and crimp them together to seal.
Vent and bake
Cut several slits in the top crust. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20 minutes, then lower to 375°F (190°C) and continue for 40-50 minutes. The crust should be dark golden brown and the juices bubbling slowly.
Other turns to take.
Cheddar Crust
Add 1/2 cup of finely grated sharp cheddar to the dry flour mixture before adding the butter.
Lattice Top
Instead of a solid second crust, cut the dough into 1-inch strips and weave them over the apples.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always place a baking sheet on the bottom rack to catch any juices that bubble over.
If the edges of the crust brown too quickly, wrap them loosely in strips of aluminum foil.
Let the pie cool on a wire rack for at least three hours before slicing to allow the juices to set.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why is my crust shrinking?
The gluten in the dough needs time to relax. If you roll it and put it directly into the oven, it will pull back. Keep it chilled and let it rest if it starts to snap back while rolling.
How do I know the apples are done?
Insert a thin knife through one of the top vents. If it slides into an apple slice with no resistance, the filling is ready.