Classic Apple Pie

Serves eight to ten.

Yields one 9-inch double-crust pie.

To learn more, read:
Perfecting Apple Pie
by Carole Walter
from Fine Cooking
Issue 81
Last Edit Date: 3/6/2013 4:29:24 PM

For best results, bake this pie at least a few hours before you plan to cut into it; otherwise, the filling may be soupy. With time, the fruit reabsorbs the juices, and the pie will cut like a charm. A pastry cloth and a rolling pin stocking, or sleeve, are simple tools that make it easier to roll out the dough.

more about:

1-1/2 to 1-3/4 lb. Cortland apples (about 4 medium)
1 lb.Granny Smith apples (about 2-1/2 medium)
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbs. granulated sugar
3 Tbs. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon; more to taste
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 large egg white
2 tsp. unsalted butter, softened, plus 1 Tbs. cold unsalted butter cut into small (1/4-inch) cubes
4 to 6 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 recipe Flaky Pie Pastry

Position two oven racks in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F.

Make the filling:

Peel the apples, cut each in half from top to bottom, remove the cores with a melon baller, and trim the ends with a paring knife. Lay the apples, cut side down, on a cutting board. Cut the Cortland apples (below left) crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces, and then halve each piece diagonally. Cut the Granny Smith apples (below right) crosswise into 1/4-inch slices, leaving them whole. Put the apples in a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice.

Combine the brown sugar, 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, kosher salt, and nutmeg in a small bowl. (Don’t add this to the fruit yet.)

In a small dish, lightly beat the egg white with 1 teaspoon water. Set aside.

Assemble the pie:

Butter a 9-inch ovenproof glass (Pyrex) pie plate, including the rim, with the 2 tsp. of softened butter.

Rub 2 to 3 Tbs. of flour into the surface of a pastry cloth, forming a circle about 15 inches across, and also into a rolling pin stocking. If you don’t have a pastry cloth, rub the flour into a large, smooth-weave, cotton kitchen towel and use a floured rolling pin. Roll one of the disks of dough into a circle that’s 1/8 inch thick and about 15 inches across.

Lay the rolling pin across the upper third of the dough circle; lift the pastry cloth to gently drape the dough over the pin and then roll the pin toward you, wrapping the remaining dough loosely around it. Hold the rolling pin over the near edge of the pie plate. Allowing for about a 1-inch overhang, unroll the dough away from you, easing it into the contours of the pan. If the dough isn’t centered in the pan, gently adjust it and then lightly press it into the pan. Take care not to stretch the dough. If it tears, simply press it back together—the dough is quite forgiving.

Brush the bottom and sides of the dough with a light coating of the egg-white wash (you won’t need all of it). Leaving a 1/4-inch overhang, cut around the edge of the dough with kitchen shears.

Combine the sugar mixture with the apples and toss to coat well. Mound the apples in the pie plate, rearranging the fruit as needed to make the pile compact. Dot the apples with the 1 Tbs. cold butter cubes.

Rub another 2 to 3 Tbs. flour into the surface of the pastry cloth and stocking. Roll the remaining dough into a circle that’s 1/8 inch thick and about 15 inches across. Use the rolling pin to move the dough. As you unroll the dough, center it on top of the apples. Place your hands on either side of the top crust of the pie and ease the dough toward the center, giving the dough plenty of slack. Leaving a 3/4-inch overhang, trim the top layer of dough around the rim of the pie plate. Fold the top layer of dough under the bottom layer, tucking the two layers of dough together. Press a lightly floured fork around the edge of the dough to seal it, or flute the edge of the dough with lightly floured fingers.

Lightly brush the top with cold water and sprinkle the surface with the remaining 1 Tbs. sugar. Make steam vents in the dough by poking the tip of a paring knife through it in a few places; it’s important to vent well so that the steam from the cooking apples won’t build up and crack the top of the crust.

Bake the pie:

Cover the rim of the pie with aluminum foil bands. This will prevent the edge of the crust from overbrowning.

Place a rimmed baking sheet or an aluminum foil drip pan on the oven rack below the pie to catch any juices that overflow during baking. Set the pie on the rack above.

Bake until the top and bottom crusts are golden brown and the juices are bubbling, 60 to 75 minutes; to thicken, the juices must boil, so look for the bubbles through the steam vents or through cracks near the edges of the pie and listen for the sound of bubbling juices. During the last 5 minutes of baking, remove the foil bands from the edges of the pie. Cool the pie at least 3 hours and up to overnight before serving.

Make Ahead Tips

The pie will keep at room temperature for up to 1 day. For longer storage, cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to 5 days; reheat before serving in a 325°F oven until warmed through, about 20 minutes.

nutrition information (per serving):
Size : based on ten servings; Calories (kcal): 460; Fat (g): 23; Fat Calories (kcal): 200; Saturated Fat (g): 10; Protein (g): 4; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 7; Carbohydrates (g): 60; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 3.5; Sodium (mg): 230; Cholesterol (mg): 30; Fiber (g): 2;

Photo: Scott Phillips

Rate this Recipe and View Reviews

user reviews
made it?
RATE IT!

by user-1028660, 1/20/2013My own grandmother - the queen of pies - would have asked me for this recipe. The crust and the filling made me look and feel like a seasoned baker. This is a classic for all of our future Thanksgivings. Thank you Fine Cooking!!!

by thelinz5, 11/25/2012I don't think I've ever made a pie totally from scratch, but this one was FABULOUS!!! I live in florida and didn't have cortlands, so I substituted Jona golds. I reduced the amount of apples because it looked like sooo many, but I shouldn't have. Make it heaping - they'll cook down a bit. The crust instructions were great, and I rolled it out between wax paper and it worked great. Highly recommend!!

by awesomebob, 11/7/2012I first tried this recipe about a year ago. I am not a very experienced baker, but I do enjoy it. Having never been able to come any where close to my grandmother's wonderful pie crust (she used lard, I know) I thought I'd try this apple pie with the crust recipe. It is wonderful! Even a novice can get the results--flaky-melts-in-your-mouth and delicious! I won't lose track of this recipe and am going to use it for both Thanksgiving and Christmas this year!!

by lee_8, 8/15/2012its my first time to bake/ make apple pie and flaky pie pastry(love this)i thought pie doughs would be hard to do, was even tempted to buy ready made,good thing i didn't.. this recipe (and comments from others who tried this before)had been a great help, esp for a first timer like me.. easy to follow and detailed..i had great feedbacks from friends, i'll surely make it again..^_^ keep it up!

by zebraz103, 6/17/2012Absolutely FABULOUS pie. I'm really not one for pie, and I could have eaten the whole thing. My dad really is a pie kind of guy, and he ate a quarter of it in about five minutes. Needless to say, it was a winner! It is truly a classic, all-American type of apple pie - exactly what you might want for Thanksgiving or a dessert after a barbecue. I can't rate the pie dough recipe because I used frozen pie crusts, thawed, and they worked just fine. I even forgot to dot the butter inside before I sealed the crust and it still turned out fabulous. An absolute winner, and I will DEFINITELY be making this pie again (and again and again)!

by skc921, 11/23/2011I made this a few weeks ago and it was such a success i'm making it again for Thanksgiving. I had been avoiding pies the last few years because they're tricky and a lot of work, but this one reminded me that the end result is worth it. The pie crust turned out beautifully. I rolled it out between sheets of wax paper. Using this method I didn't need to incorporate any extra flour. For the bottom crust, I chilled the rolled out circle between the two pieces of wax paper in the freezer on a baking sheet, and then peeled off one sheet of paper easily (make sure there are no wrinkles in the paper or it will crack). I let this piece warm up a bit at room temperature for about 3 minutes and then pressed it into a pie dish (with the other sheet still attached). After trimming the sides, I chilled the dish in the frezzer for 10 minutes and then peeled the sheet off. For the bottom crust I rolled it ouu and chilled it the same way, but peeled off both sheets when I took it out and placed it on a lightly floured piece of wax paper. once it was warmed up enough to be pliable (test by lifting one side of the paper slowly and see how easily it bends) I placed it over the filled pie dish. I didn't try the towel method but it seems like a simillar idea. The combination of apples was great, too. Everyone commented that the apple flavor really came trough and wasn't overpowered by cinnamon. I also appreciated that when a slice was cut out of the pie, the apple filling stayed in the rest of the pie.

by Gail_C, 10/14/2011How do you spell disaster? The crust was a mess... couldn't roll it out at all, just kept sticking to the pin and breaking. I finally threw it all in the garbage. Filling was good.

by badmf, 10/9/2011Crust is fabulous: light,flaky and very easy to roll.

by purp107, 10/5/2011

by Andrrreag, 11/26/2010Home run! This pie tastes scrumptuous. The perfect balance between tart and sweet. The grocer didn't have Cortland apples, so I used Mcintosh which is a sibling. I also used the recipe for flaky pie crust suggested here. It was well worth making my own dough.

by Christene, 11/12/2010I finally made my first 'from scratch' pie and this was it. I used the recommended Flaky Pie Pastry (YUM!) and have to say the pie was a great success considering it was my first. I did struggle with choosing apples though. I didn't have access to Cortlands and had trouble getting a straight answer on what would be a good substitute. And with a substitute, how thick to cut the slices... I don't remember for sure what I used in place of the Cortlands - a combination of Golden Delicious and Honeycrisp maybe? I cut the slices bigger than the Granny's, but not as big as the Cortlands would have been. I think one of the apples I chose broke down too much because something in there was a little mushy and the pie was just a little runny. I give it 5 stars anyway because the flavor was fantastic! The kids are pleading for this to be made again for Thanksgiving. Still, if someone could recommend a few suitable substitutes for the Cortlands (along with slicing size) I would be so grateful. Thank you so much!

by levaandneve, 10/13/2010Absolutely loved this recipe for both pie and crust. The only change I made was to use Spy apples and it was delicious. Found that brushing the crust with the egg white prevented the usual soggy bottom crust so well worth it. Have tried many different recipes for both pie and crust...this is my new favourite.

by dustins, 2/1/2010Turned out great, even though I accidentally used 1/4 tsp. nutmeg. It really looked, and more importantly tasted, magnificent! I love the addition of granny smith apples, I love a lot of tart, and the only thing I'd consider next time is a wee bit more granny smith apples in the mix. Glad I tried this recipe.

by sewapel, 1/21/2010

by gaius, 12/5/2009Great recipe. We used Granny Smith plus Honey Crisp apples, since no Cortlands were available. Increased the spices, though. Doubled the cinnamon, slightly increased nutmeg. Quite delicious.

by Galley_Slave, 11/18/2009It was a hit. For the filling I used Gala apples instead of Cortland and doubled the cinnamon. Stayed with your recommended pastry which was also very good.

by cesmith, 11/1/2009This pie filling recipe is incredible! I used only Cortlands as that is all I had on hand, and a different crust recipe.