Classic Apple Pie

Name: Classic Apple Pie
Prep time: 1 h 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2½ cups (313 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus extra for rolling; 1 tbsp (12 g) granulated sugar; 1 tsp (6 g) fine salt; 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch cubes; ½ cup (120 ml) ice water, ice cold, ice removed; use 6 to 8 tbsp as needed; 3½ lb (1600 g) firm apples, half Granny Smith and half Honeycrisp or Braeburn, about 7 medium; peeled, cored, and sliced ¼ inch (6 mm) thick; ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar; 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice; ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar, packed; 3 tbsp (24 g) cornstarch; 1 tsp (3 g) ground cinnamon; ¼ tsp (½ g) freshly grated nutmeg; ½ tsp (3 g) fine salt; 1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract; 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces; 1 whole (50 g) large egg, beaten with the milk; 1 tbsp (15 ml) whole milk; 1 tbsp (12 g) coarse sugar or turbinado sugar

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A double-crust American apple pie with a flaky all-butter crust and a tender, cinnamon-spiced filling that slices cleanly. Draining and reducing the apple juices first prevents a gap under the top crust and a soggy bottom.

Prep: 1 hr 15 min
Cook: 1 hr 15 min
Wait: 4 hr 45 min
Total: 7 hr 15 min
Makes: 1 deep-dish 9-inch pie (8 slices)

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Ingredients

8 servings

For the crust
2½ cups (313 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus extra for rolling
1 tbsp (12 g) granulated sugar
1 tsp (6 g) fine salt
1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch cubes
½ cup (120 ml) ice water, ice cold, ice removed; use 6 to 8 tbsp as needed
For the filling
3½ lb (1600 g) firm apples, half Granny Smith and half Honeycrisp or Braeburn, about 7 medium; peeled, cored, and sliced ¼ inch (6 mm) thick
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar, packed
3 tbsp (24 g) cornstarch
1 tsp (3 g) ground cinnamon
¼ tsp (0.5 g) freshly grated nutmeg
½ tsp (3 g) fine salt
1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
For the finish
1 whole (50 g) large egg, beaten with the milk
1 tbsp (15 ml) whole milk
1 tbsp (12 g) coarse sugar or turbinado sugar

Equipment (10)

9-inch (23 cm) deep-dish glass or ceramic pie plate
Large mixing bowl
Rimmed baking sheet (to catch drips)
Rolling pin
Large colander set over a bowl
Small saucepan (1-quart/1 liter)
Pastry cutter or food processor (optional)
Sharp paring knife and vegetable peeler
Pastry brush
Aluminum foil

Steps

Before you start

Cut the butter for the crust into ½-inch cubes and chill it in the freezer for 15 minutes before you start. Cold butter makes a flaky crust.
Fill a measuring cup with water and ice so the water is truly ice cold when you need it.
Set an oven rack in the lower third and put a rimmed baking sheet on it. Preheat the oven during step 6 so it is at 425°F (220°C) when the pie goes in.
Plan the timing: the dough chills 1 hour, the apples sit 30 minutes, and the baked pie must cool 3 hours before slicing. Start at least 7 hours before serving.
Read the recipe through once so you know when the apples and dough overlap.

1
Make crust crumbs
- In a large bowl whisk the flour, 1 tbsp sugar, and 1 tsp salt.
- Add the cold butter cubes and toss to coat.
- Using a pastry cutter, your fingertips, or short pulses in a food processor, work the butter in until you have a mix of pea-size and almond-size pieces coated in flour.
- Flatten some of the larger pieces between your fingers into thin flakes.
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Ready when: The mixture looks like coarse crumbs with visible butter pieces, none larger than a almond.
Tip: If the butter gets soft or greasy, refrigerate the bowl for 10 minutes before continuing.
2
Hydrate and chill dough
- Drizzle 6 tbsp (90 ml) of the ice water over the crumbs and toss with a fork.
- Add more water 1 tbsp at a time, up to 8 tbsp total, until the dough holds together when squeezed in your fist.
- Turn it out, divide into two pieces (one slightly larger, about 55/45), and press each into a flat disc.
- Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
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Ready when: Dough holds together when squeezed but is not sticky; dry flecks are fine.
Tip: Don't knead. Overworking develops gluten and makes the crust tough.
3
Salt and rest apples
- Peel, core, and slice the apples ¼ inch (6 mm) thick.
- Place them in a large bowl and toss with ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar and the lemon juice.
- Let stand for 30 minutes; the sugar will pull out a lot of juice.
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Ready when: There is at least ½ cup (120 ml) of liquid pooled in the bowl, and the slices look slightly softened.
Tip: Keep slices an even thickness so they all cook at the same rate.
4
Reduce apple juices
- Set a colander over a saucepan and drain the apples, shaking gently; leave the apples in the colander.
- Boil the collected juices over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about ⅓ cup (80 ml) of syrup that is thick and amber.
- Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
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Ready when: Large slow bubbles; syrup coats the back of a spoon and measures about ⅓ cup (80 ml).
Tip: Watch closely near the end because sugary syrup can scorch quickly.
5
Season the filling
- Return the drained apples to the large bowl.
- In a small bowl mix the brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ½ tsp salt, then sprinkle over the apples.
- Add the reduced syrup and vanilla, and toss until no dry cornstarch remains and the slices are evenly glossy.
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Ready when: No visible white streaks of cornstarch; apples are evenly coated.
Tip: Make sure the syrup has cooled slightly so it doesn't start melting the crust later.
6
Roll bottom crustOven 425°F / 220°C
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with the rack in the lower third and a rimmed baking sheet on it.
- On a floured surface roll the larger dough disc into a 13-inch (33 cm) round about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick, turning it a quarter turn after every couple of rolls.
- Drape it into the 9-inch (23 cm) deep-dish pie plate, pressing it into the corners without stretching.
- Leave the overhang and refrigerate the lined plate for 15 minutes.
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Ready when: Dough round is even, with no cracks bigger than ½ inch; the oven reads 425°F (220°C).
Tip: If the dough cracks while rolling, let it stand 5 minutes to warm slightly. Patch tears with scraps.
7
Roll top and fill
- Roll the second disc into an 11-inch (28 cm) round.
- Pile the apples into the chilled shell, mounding them in the center and packing them tightly, and pour in any syrup left in the bowl.
- Scatter the 2 tbsp butter pieces over the apples.
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Ready when: Apples are mounded about 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the rim with few gaps.
Tip: Packing the apples tightly reduces the gap that forms as they cook and shrink.
8
Top, crimp, and glaze
- Lay the top round over the apples.
- Trim the overhang to ¾ inch (2 cm), fold the edges under so they sit on the rim, and crimp with your fingers or a fork.
- Whisk the egg and milk and brush it over the top.
- Cut 5 slits, each about 2 inches (5 cm) long, in the top for steam.
- Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- If the dough feels soft, refrigerate the pie 10 minutes.
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Ready when: The crust is sealed all around, the top is evenly glossy, and slits are open.
Tip: Make sure the vents are open and not glazed shut.
9
Bake at high heatOven 425°F / 220°C
- Place the pie on the preheated baking sheet in the lower third of the 425°F (220°C) oven.
- Bake for 25 minutes to set and brown the bottom crust and start the top browning.
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Ready when: The top crust is light golden and the edges are starting to color.
Tip: The preheated baking sheet gives the bottom crust an initial blast of heat and catches any drips.
10
Finish bakingOven 375°F / 190°C
- Reduce the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- If the crust edge or top is browning quickly, tent loosely with foil.
- Continue baking 40 to 45 minutes, rotating the pie halfway through.
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Ready when: The crust is deep golden brown, the juices bubble thickly and slowly through the vents, and a paring knife slides into the apples with little resistance.
Tip: Thick, slow bubbles mean the cornstarch has activated. If the juices are thin and quick, bake 5 more minutes.
11
Cool completely
- Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let it cool for at least 3 hours at room temperature before slicing.
- The filling thickens as it cools.
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Ready when: The pie is barely warm to the touch on the bottom and the filling no longer looks runny when cut.
Tip: Slicing too early will cause a runny filling. The wait is worth it.

Good to know

Tips

Use a mix of tart and sweet apples for the best flavor and texture.
Keep everything cold. If the dough warms up and becomes sticky at any point, return it to the fridge for 15 minutes.
Bake on a glass or ceramic plate so you can check that the bottom crust has browned.
Place the pie on a baking sheet to catch any bubbling juices and make cleanup easier.

Make ahead

"The dough can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept wrapped in the fridge, or frozen for up to 2 months (thaw overnight in the fridge). The whole pie can be assembled, unbaked, and frozen for up to 2 months; bake from frozen at 425°F (220°C) for 30 minutes, then 375°F (190°C) for 55 to 65 minutes."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature, loosely covered: up to 2 days. Refrigerator: up to 5 days. Freezer: baked slices wrapped well for up to 2 months. Reheat slices or the whole pie at 350°F (175°C) for 10 to 20 minutes until warm and the crust crisps; thaw frozen pie overnight in the fridge first."

Substitutions

firm apples, half Granny Smith and half Honeycrisp or Braeburn → Golden Delicious, Jonagold, or Pink Lady apples. Use firm, tart-sweet apples that hold their shape. Avoid mealy varieties such as Red Delicious.
cornstarch → Tapioca starch (3 tbsp / 24 g). Gives a clear, glossy filling; use the same weight.
unsalted butter → Half cold butter, half cold vegetable shortening (113 g each). Shortening makes a slightly more tender, easier-to-handle dough but with less butter flavor.
freshly grated nutmeg → Ground allspice or cardamom (¼ tsp). Adds a different warm spice note.