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Deep-Dish Apple Pie
Five pounds of apples — equal weights of tart Granny Smiths and sweet Golden Delicious — cook down on the stovetop with granulated sugar, brown sugar, lemon zest, and a small amount of cinnamon before going into the crust. Pre-cooking drives off excess moisture so the filling doesn't shrink below the pastry lid during baking. An all-butter double crust seals the top, brushed with egg white for a matte, golden finish. Serves eight, and the filling holds its shape cleanly on the first slice.
Equipment
- Stovetop
- Oven
- Pie dish
- Rolling Pin
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Foolproof All-Butter Dough for Double-Crust Pie
- 2½ pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, halved, and sliced ¼ inch thick
- 2½ pounds Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, halved, and sliced ¼ inch thick
- ½ cup (3½ ounces) plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ cup packed (1¾ ounces) light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
Instructions
- 1Toss the sliced apples, 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, brown sugar, lemon zest, salt, and cinnamon together in a Dutch oven.
- 2Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Pre-cooking the apples ensures they won't shrink during baking and leave a gap under the crust. Cook until they're tender when pierced with a fork but still hold their shape.
- 3Transfer the apples and their juices to a rimmed baking sheet. Let them cool completely for about 30 minutes.
- 4Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Drain the cooled apples thoroughly in a colander set over a bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup of the drained juice and stir the lemon juice into it.
- 5Transfer the drained apples to a pie plate lined with the bottom crust, mounding them slightly in the center. Drizzle the reserved apple juice mixture over the top.
- 6Loosely roll the remaining dough round around a rolling pin and gently unroll it over the filling. Trim the overhang to 1/2 inch beyond the lip of the plate.
- 7Pinch the edges of the top and bottom crusts firmly together. Tuck the overhang under itself so the folded edge sits flush with the rim of the plate.
- 8Crimp the dough evenly around the edge using your fingers. Cut four 2-inch slits into the top crust to vent steam.
- 9Brush the surface with the beaten egg white and sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar.
- 10Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes, until the crust is light golden brown.
- 11Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees, rotate the baking sheet, and continue baking for 30 to 40 minutes. You'll know it's ready when the juices are bubbling and the crust is deep golden brown.
- 12Transfer the pie to a wire rack. Let it cool for about 2 hours so the filling can set before slicing.
Notes
- Serving: Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, ideally with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Make ahead: The apple filling can be cooked, cooled, and stored in the fridge up to 2 days before assembling and baking the pie.
- Storage: Keep leftover pie loosely covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Recipe Details
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