How to Bake a Classic Apple Pie

A double-crust apple pie with tender, sliceable filling and a crisp, golden top. Here is every step, from choosing apples to cutting the first slice.

Makes

One 9-inch pie, 8 slices

Active time

About 1 hour

Bake

425°F, then 375°F, about 70 minutes total

Cool

3 to 4 hours

Apple pie looks simple: fruit, sugar, spice and crust. The hard part is getting a filling that holds together when sliced, apples that are soft but not mushy, and a bottom crust that's baked all the way through. This recipe handles all three.

Ingredients

For the double crust

• 2 1/2 cups (315 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (226 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 6 to 8 tablespoons ice water

For the filling

• 3 pounds (about 1.4 kg) apples, about 7 medium, a mix of tart and sweet
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (50 g) packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

To finish

• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 tablespoon coarse sugar (optional)

Instructions

1. Make the dough. Whisk the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Toss in the cold butter and press the cubes into the flour with your fingertips or a pastry blender until most pieces are the size of peas. Sprinkle in 6 tablespoons of ice water and stir with a fork until the dough holds together when squeezed, adding more water a tablespoon at a time if needed.
2. Chill. Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into a disk, wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
3. Prepare the apples. Peel, core and slice the apples about 1/4 inch thick. Toss them in a large bowl with both sugars, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and lemon juice. Let them sit for 15 to 30 minutes while you roll the crust. They'll release some juice, which helps the thickener dissolve evenly.
4. Line the pan. On a floured surface, roll one disk into a 12-inch circle and ease it into a 9-inch pie plate without stretching it. Leave the overhang. Refrigerate while you roll the second disk into another 12-inch circle.
5. Fill and top. Heap the apples into the crust, mounding them in the center, since they shrink as they bake. Pour in about half of the collected juice and dot with butter. Lay the top crust over the filling, trim both crusts to a 1-inch overhang, fold the edge under and crimp. Cut 4 or 5 slits in the top for steam to escape.
6. Chill again. Refrigerate the assembled pie for 20 minutes while the oven heats to 425°F (220°C), with a rack in the lowest position and a baking sheet on it to catch drips.
7. Bake. Brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 20 minutes, then lower the heat to 375°F (190°C) and bake 40 to 50 minutes more, until the crust is deep golden and the juices bubble thickly through the slits. If the edges darken too quickly, cover them with foil or a pie shield.
8. Cool completely. Let the pie cool on a rack for at least 3 hours. The filling keeps thickening as it cools. Cut it too soon and the juices will run.

Common problems

• A gap between the crust and filling: the apples shrank as they baked. Mound them high, or cook the filling on the stove for 5 minutes first to soften the apples before filling.
• Runny filling: the pie was cut while warm, or it came out of the oven before the juices bubbled through the vents. Thickeners only activate near boiling.
• Pale, soggy bottom: bake on the lowest rack, and use a glass or metal pan rather than ceramic, which heats more slowly.

Apple pie keeps at room temperature, loosely covered, for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5. Warm slices in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes to crisp the crust again.