Classic Apple Pie

 

Classic Apple Pie

Prep 25 min, Cook 55 min, Serves 8

Ingredients

7 apples peeled, cored, sliced (about 900 g total)

200 g sugar

30 g all-purpose flour

6 g ground cinnamon

1 g ground nutmeg

10 g lemon zest, finely grated

30 g softened butter

Pastry (double crust):

300 g all-purpose flour

160 g lard, butter, or shortening

4 g salt

as needed cold water

Instructions

1 In a bowl, mix flour, fat, and salt until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with peasized bits. Add cold water a spoon at a time until the dough comes together. Form into two discs and chill 20 minutes.

2 Preheat oven to 230°C.

3 In a large bowl, combine sliced apples with sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon zest. Toss gently.

4 Roll out one dough disc and line your pie plate. Add the apple filling and dot the top with softened butter.

5 Roll out the second dough disc. Brush the bottom crust edge lightly with water, place the top crust over the pie, and crimp edges to seal. Cut a few slits in the top for steam.

6 Bake at 230°C for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 175°C and bake for 45 minutes more, until the crust is golden and the filling bubbles.

7 Let the pie cool at least 1 hour so the filling sets and slices cleanly.

Beginner Tips

• Cold dough = flaky crust Keep your fat (butter/lard) and water cold. Warm dough becomes sticky and tough.
• Don’t overmix the pastry Stop as soon as it holds together. Overworking makes the crust chewy instead of crisp.
• Apple thickness matters Slice apples evenly so they cook at the same rate.
• Prevent soggy bottoms Baking the first 10 minutes at high heat helps set the crust.
• Check browning If the top crust browns too fast, loosely cover with foil.
• Let it cool Cutting too early makes the filling run out. One hour of cooling gives perfect slices.