Double Crusted Apple Pie
Prep Time:30 mins | Chill Time:35 mins | Baking Time:55-65 mins |
Total Timeabout 2 hr | Serves:8 |
Few desserts are as closely woven into American home baking as apple pie, although its history reaches much further back. Apple-filled pastries were being made in Europe centuries before the dessert became an American favorite, and generations of bakers have since developed their own combinations of apples, spices, and pastry. What has endured is the simple formula: plenty of fruit enclosed between two layers of buttery crust and baked until the apples are tender and their juices are bubbling.
This version keeps that tradition at its heart, with warmly spiced apples tucked inside a homemade double crust. Four small openings cut into the top allow steam to escape while giving the finished pie its wonderfully old-fashioned appearance. Serve it slightly warm or at room temperature, on its own or with vanilla ice cream for one of those desserts that needs very little introduction.
Choosing the Best Apples for Pie
The best pie apples have enough structure to withstand a long bake without dissolving into applesauce. They should also have enough acidity to balance the sugar in the filling.
Granny Smith, Braeburn, Pink Lady, and Honeycrisp are all useful choices. Combining two varieties can make an especially interesting filling, giving you slightly different levels of sweetness, acidity, and texture in every slice.
Protect the Crust If It Browns Too Quickly
The outer edge of a pie is exposed to more direct heat and may brown before the center has finished baking. If the crust reaches the color you want too early, loosely cover the edges with strips of aluminum foil or a pie shield.
Don't remove the pie simply because the pastry looks finished. Give the apples and the bottom crust a little longer to finish cooking.
Why Apple Pie Needs to Cool
Cutting into a fruit pie straight from the oven is tempting, but the filling is still extremely fluid while hot. As the pie cools, the thickened juices have time to set around the apples.
For cleaner slices, give the pie several hours to cool before cutting. You can always gently warm individual slices later if you prefer your apple pie served warm.
Prevent a Soggy Bottom Crust
A thoroughly preheated oven is particularly important for a double-crust fruit pie. The bottom pastry needs strong heat from the beginning so it can begin setting before it absorbs too much moisture from the filling.
Baking the pie on a preheated metal baking sheet can provide additional heat beneath the pie plate while also catching any juices that happen to bubble over.
Our Favorite Way to Transfer Pie Crust
Moving a thin sheet of rolled pastry from the counter to the pie dish can be one of the trickier parts of making pie. Our preferred method is surprisingly simple: fold the dough into quarters before moving it.
Once the crust has been rolled to the proper size, gently fold it in half, taking care not to press or crease the dough. Fold it in half once more to create a quarter-circle, or triangular shape. Lift the folded pastry and place the pointed corner in the center of the pie dish. Then simply unfold it once, and once again, allowing the crust to settle naturally into the pan.
Work gently and avoid stretching the dough as you fit it into the bottom and sides of the dish. This method makes a large, delicate round of pastry much easier to lift and position while reducing the chance of tearing it along the way.
Ingredients
Pie Crust
• 2½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 cup (226 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 6 to 8 tablespoons ice water
Apple Filling
• 3 pounds apples, about 7 to 8 medium apples
• ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• ¼ cup (55 g) packed light brown sugar
• ¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
For Finishing
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• coarse or granulated sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
To make the pastry, combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the cold butter and work it into the flour with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-size pieces of butter remaining.
Add the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, gently mixing just until the dough begins to hold together. Divide the dough in half and shape each portion into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack positioned in the lower third of the oven.
Peel, core, and cut the apples into approximately ¼-inch-thick slices. Place them in a large bowl and add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, lemon juice, and vanilla. Toss until the apples are evenly coated.
On a lightly floured surface, roll one disk of dough into a 12-inch round. Fit the pastry into a 9-inch pie plate, allowing the excess to hang over the edge.
Spoon the apple filling into the crust, mounding the apples slightly toward the center. Dot the filling with the 2 tablespoons of butter.
Roll the second disk of dough into an approximately 12-inch round and carefully place it over the apples. Trim the excess pastry, leaving about a 1-inch overhang. Fold the edges underneath themselves and crimp with your fingers to seal.
Using a small, sharp knife, cut four evenly spaced slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon water. Lightly brush the top and edges of the pie with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse or granulated sugar.
Place the pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden and the apple juices are bubbling through the vents. If the edges begin to brown too quickly, loosely cover them with foil.
Transfer the pie to a wire rack and allow it to cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before slicing. This allows the apple filling to set properly.
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