We all love that perfect apple pie with just the right balance of filling to crust. Learn to create the perfect flaky pie crust, and the perfect apple pie filling that will complement it. Chef Sokol will take you through all the nuanced steps of pie baking. Listen as she helps you learn to make the flakiest pie dough ever, and gives you all her hard earned tricks for shaping the dough and getting it into the pie pan. Tips to get the apple slices perfectly spiced will be discussed.
Apple Pie
Makes one 9-inch pie
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup or 1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 1/4 cup at least ice water
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 pounds (or 6 cups) thinly sliced peeled and pared Granny Smith apples or your favorite type
- 1 large egg plus 1 teaspoon water to be used as an egg wash
- Granulated sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
First: Prepare the Pie Crust
- Preheat the oven to 425° F.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
- Place the cold butter into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender or a knife and fork, cut the fat into the flour and salt until the dough forms pea-sized pieces. Put the pastry blender down.
- Sprinkle in the ice water and gently combine the ingredients with a spoon until a ball of dough forms. Add more water if the dough is too dry. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and flatten into a 1-inch thick disk. Chill the dough for at least one hour.
- Using a dough cutter, cut the dough in half. You should have 2 pieces of dough.
- On a lightly floured work surface, flour a rolling pan and put a 9 inch pie pan next to you. Roll out one piece of dough into a circle at least 10 inches in diameter. Carefully fit the circle of dough into the pie pan.
Second: Prepare the Filling
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. In a large mixing bowl place the sliced apples and add the sugar and spice mixture. Blend together until all the apples are coated.
- Pour apple filling into the bottom crust. Lightly press down on the filling to compact the apples.
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the remaining piece of dough into another circle about 10-11 inches in diameter.
- Using a knife, cut out some air vents in the center of the dough for steam to escape.
- Carefully place the top crust over the filling. Cut off any excess dough. Crimp the edges all around and fold under to seal the crusts together.
- Using a pastry brush, egg wash the entire top of the pie and sprinkle generously with granulated sugar.
- Place the pie on a large sheet pan and bake it for 40-50 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling through the cuts on the top crust.
- Serve warm.