Deep Dish Apple Pie

Here is the essence of Fall baking. Time to dispense with the fancy and get down to the basics. Apple pie is the fundamental American treat. Its virtues have been documented in song and verse through every epoch of our history. And with good reason. This is the sweetness that brings the family together, can evoke debilitating spells of nostalgia, and sells Chevrolets at the same time. Enough with the pomp, let’s get down to business!

I had a standard pie that I thoroughly enjoyed (and a method that I still partially use), but several years back, Cook’s Illustrated came out with their rendition of a deep-dish apple pie. It was strikingly similar to the recipe that I used at the time, but it had twice the amount of apples. In my book, more apples mean more goodness. So, I decided to blend the two recipes for the perfect apple pie (at least for my taste buds).

Unlike some apple pies that one may have encountered with a gaping pocket of emptiness between the filling and the crust, this pie is all about the apples. And I mean all 5 pounds of ’em (which is about 11 apples, not 11 pounds that I originally typed– whoops). The apples are cooked and the juices are reduced until they are thick and syrupy, before being added to the crusts. This method prevents the filling from shrinking and the crust from collapsing when the pie is sliced. It will also help the pie retain all of its good caramel juices. There are a few more steps, and a bit more work is involved than in the standard apple pie that utilizes raw apples, but the end result is, well…

As you can see, LOADED with tender, sweet apples and a flaky, buttery crust. À la mode with a scoop of good Vanilla Bean Ice Cream is certainly optional, but I highly recommend it to enjoy the traditional American experience.

Deep-Dish Apple Pie

By Nicole Prep: 20 minsCook: 1 hr 30 minsRefrigeration Time: 1 hr 50 minsTotal: 3 hrs 40 mins Servings: 12 This All-American dessert is LOADED with sweet and tender apples!

Equipment

• 14-cup food processor
• 9-inch deep dish pie plate

Ingredients 

For the Pastry

• 2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 16 tablespoons (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cold, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• ⅓ cup ice water, and more if needed

For the Filling

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 ½ pounds Granny Smith apples, about 5-6 medium, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 2 ½ pounds Golden Delicious apples, about 5-6 medium, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 1 egg white, beaten

For the Topping

• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions 

For the Pastry

1. In the bowl of a food processor, process the flour, salt, and sugar until combined, about 3 seconds. Add the butter and pulse until butter is the size of small peas, about ten 1-second pulses. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and ice water. Add half the sour cream to the flour and pulse briefly. Repeat with the remaining sour cream mixture. Pinch the dough with fingers, if the dough is dry and does not hold together, add 1-2 tablespoons of ice water and process until large clumps form, about three to five 1-second pulses. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and press to combine lightly. Divide the dough in half, pressing each half into a flat disk, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour, preferably several hours, or for up to 2 days before using. The pastry can also be wrapped airtight, placed in a freezer bag and frozen for up to 6 months. Thaw completely in the refrigerator before using.

For the Filling

1. In a medium bowl, combine sugars, salt, zest, juice and cinnamon. In a large dutch oven over high heat, melt the butter. Add the apples and toss until the apple slices are coated with butter. Reduce the heat to medium, cover tightly, and cook, stirring frequently until the apples are slightly softened, about 7-10 minutes. Add the sugar mixture and increase the heat to high. Cook the apples at a rapid boil, stirring frequently and gently until the juices become very thick and syrupy, about 7-10 minutes more. Immediately spread the apples in a thin layer on a large baking sheet and allow to cool to room temperature. Position a rack on the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425ºF.
2. Meanwhile, remove one disk of pastry to a lightly floured work sheet of parchment paper. For the bottom crust, roll out pastry to a 13-inch circle adding flour as needed. Transfer pastry to a baking sheet and refrigerate until the dough is firm, about 30 minutes. Roll the other half of the pastry for the top crust onto a separate sheet of lightly floured parchment paper into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to another baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Once firm, invert 13-inch bottom pastry into a deep 9-inch pie plate; peel off parchment paper. Ease pastry into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with one hand and pressing into bottom edges of the pie plate with the other hand. Allow overhang to remain in place. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.
3. Pour the cooled apple mixture into the bottom crust. Brush the edge of the bottom crust with cold water. Flip the 12-inch top crust onto the apples and peel off the parchment. Seal the edge, trim slightly, fold edges under, and crimp or flute. Cut several steam vents and brush with the beaten egg white. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping. Sprinkle the top of the pie evenly with the sugar mixture. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake until deep golden brown and bubbling, about 50-60 minutes. If the top appears to be browning too quickly the last 15 minutes, place a sheet of aluminum foil on top (do not wrap) to prevent over browning. Transfer pie to a wire rack to cool completely, about 3 to 4 hours. Enjoy!

Notes

To serve pie warm, reheat at 350º F for 15 minutes. Pie can be kept at room temperature for 2-3 days. To freeze the pie, assemble the pie to the point of sealing and crimp the crust (do not brush with egg wash or sprinkle with sugar). Freeze the pie uncovered for 2-3 hours, then wrap tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil, and freeze for up to two weeks. When ready to bake, remove the pie from the freezer, cut steam vents, brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar mixture. Bake as directed, increasing the time 5 to 10 minutes longer.

Nutrition

Calories: 423kcal, Carbohydrates: 65g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 47mg, Sodium: 373mg, Potassium: 257mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 38g, Vitamin A: 646IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 32mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.