Go Back
Double-Crust Apple Pie
Print

Double Crust Apple Pie

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Pie
Prep Time 45 minutes
Resting Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

Double Crust Pie Dough

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 12 tablespoons 1½ sticks unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening like Crisco
  • 6 or more! tablespoons ice water

Pie Filling

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 pounds apples [see notes] peeled, cored and sliced into ¼-inch thick wedges
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 egg white for the crust bottom

Instructions

To make the crust:

  • In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, salt, butter and vegetable shortening until the mixture looks golden and resembles coarse cornmeal.
  • Pour the flour mixture into the large bowl. Add the ice water one tablespoon at a time, lightly fluffing the mixture with your fingers. Add ice water to the mixture until the dough just begins to come together. (I always mix the water by hand so I have more control.) If you are not sure, try squeezing a little of the dough together in your hand. If it clumps, you are done.
  • Gather the dough into a ball, divide it into two pieces, then flatten the pieces into discs. Wrap the discs in plastic and put them in the refrigerator to rest for at least 1 hour.
  • Roll out the two pieces of pie dough [see notes]. Use one dough disc to line a 9” deep-dish pie pan. Place the second rolled-out dough on a cookie sheet. Place both discs back in the refrigerator to rest.

To make the filling:

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Make sure there is enough room for a tall pie -- you may need to remove a rack.
  • Remove the dough discs from the refrigerator and set aside, while you peel, core and cut the apples.
  • In a large skillet, melt the butter. When the butter is sizzling, toss in the apples and stir so they are coated in butter. Cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. If you do not have a pan large enough, you can do this in two batches.
  • Remove the apples from the skillet (but leave the liquid behind) and put them in a large bowl. Toss the apples in the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
  • Brush the inside of the bottom crust with the beaten egg white. Pile the sauteed apples into the crust, then cover with the remaining dough disc. Trim the crusts, then pinch them together. Using your thumbs and index fingers, crimp the edge into a pretty pattern [or make whatever pattern around the edge you like]. Slice air vents into the top crust. If you like the crust to look shiny, brush with an egg wash; if you like it brown and soft, brush with milk; or you can leave it plain.
  • Turn the oven down to 375 degrees F. Place the pie pan on a cookie sheet, and bake until the crust is a deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 50-60 minutes.
  • Let cool completely before serving.

Notes

From: Louise Miller in The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living
For apples, Louise recommends a mixture of mostly Cortland and McIntosh apples, with 1 or 2 Granny Smith thrown in for tartness and texture. I was unable to find Cortland or McIntosh apples and went with a mixture of Golden Delicious and Pink Lady, both of which the signs in the grocery story said would be “good for baking.” Combined with 2 Granny Smith, I thought the flavor and texture of the pie was wonderful.
Per Louise, there are two main tricks to rolling out pie dough: One is not use too much flour -- you can always add a bit more if the dough is sticking to the table, but you can’t take it away. The other is to never roll the dough out using a back-and-forth motion. Always work from the center and roll out. That will keep you from working the gluten too much.