Apple Pie 3 (Deep Dish)
Ingredients
- 2 prepared pie crusts
- 110 g granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
- 55 g light brown sugar (1/4 cup)
- 1/4 t salt - table
- 1/2 t grated lemon zest
- 2 t ground cinnamon
- 1/4 t ground allspice
- 1/4 t ground nutmeg
- 1/4 t ground cardamom
- 1/8 t ground cloves
- 1/8 t ground ginger
- 1100 g tart apples (firm; 2.5 pounds; peeled & cut into 1/4" thick pieces - see note)
- 1100 g sweet apples (firm; 2.5 pounds; peeled & cut into 1/4" thick pieces - see note)
- 1 T lemon juice
- 1 egg white (beaten lightly, for top of pie)
- 1 t preserving sugar (for top of pie, as desired)
Method
1. Mix sugars, salt, lemon zest, and spices in large bowl; add apples and toss to combine. (I had to split it so I had room to toss, using both of my 4L bowls.)
2. Transfer apples to Dutch oven (I used my two 5L pots) and cook, covered, over medium heat, stirring frequently, until apples are tender when poked with fork but still hold their shape, 15 to 20 minutes. Apples and juices should gently simmer during cooking.
3. Transfer apples and juices to 2 rimmed baking sheets/pans set on cooling racks and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
4. While apples cool, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place an empty rimmed baking sheet (just something to set the pie dish on) on the rack, and heat oven to 425F.
For the crust:
5. Remove 1 disk of dough from refrigerator and roll out between 2 large sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap to 12" circle, about 1/8" thick. (If dough becomes soft and/or sticky, return to refrigerator until firm.) Remove parchment from one side of dough and flip onto 9" pie plate; peel off second layer of parchment. Working around circumference, ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with one hand while pressing into plate bottom with other hand. Leave dough that overhangs plate in place; refrigerate until dough is firm, about 30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, roll second disk of dough between 2 large sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap to 12" circle, about 1/8" thick. Refrigerate, leaving dough between parchment sheets, until firm, about 30 minutes.
7. Fill the pie: Transfer apples to dough-lined pie plate; sprinkle with lemon juice.
8. Top the pie: Remove parchment from one side of remaining dough and flip dough onto apples; peel off second piece of parchment. Pinch edges of top and bottom dough rounds firmly together. Trim and seal edges of dough, then cut four 2" slits in top of dough. Brush surface with beaten egg white and sprinkle evenly with preserving sugar.
9. Bake: Set pie on preheated baking sheet; bake until crust is dark golden brown, 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer pie to wire rack and cool at least 1.5 hours. Cut into wedges and serve.
Notes
SJ Notes 10 Nov 2014: Good! Keeper. It tastes good and stays together in a slice, instead of oozing everywhere - victory! I don't understand why I need to let the apples cool on the baking sheets for 30 minutes before filling and baking the pie. I did it anyway. I used different spices than called for, though, since 1/8tsp of cinnamon alone for 5 pounds of apples doesn't suit our taste.
Notes from source:
Why this recipe works: Precooking the apples allowed us to cram twice as many apples in our deep-dish apple pie recipe than in our standard pie. Why didn't they fall apart when precooked and then cooked again inside the pie? When the apples are gently heated, their pectin is converted to a heat-stable form that keeps them from becoming mushy when cooked further in the oven.
Note: Use a combination of tart and sweet apples for this pie. Good choices for tart are Granny Smiths, Empires, or Cortlands; for sweet, we recommend Golden Delicious, Jonagolds, or Braeburns. Wrap leftovers tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 24 hours. To reheat, remove the wrap and warm the pie in a 350-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. See below for freezing instructions.
Freezing Instructions:We tried two different methods for freezing: (1) fully assembled and ready to go directly
from freezer to oven and (2) divided into separate components of crust and cooked apple filling to be thawed,
assembled, and baked. Both versions were good, although the reassembled pie was deemed marginally better for its slightly flakier, more evenly browned crust. You'll probably want to choose one method or the other based on how long you expect to keep a pie (or its components) in the freezer.
Assembled pies kept well for up to two weeks in the freezer; after that, the texture of the crust and apples suffered. To freeze an assembled pie, follow the recipe all the way through sealing the pie crust, but do not brush with egg wash. Freeze the pie for two to three hours, then wrap it tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil, and return it to the freezer. To bake, remove the pie from the freezer, brush it with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, cut slits in the top crust, and place directly on the baking sheet in the preheated oven. Bake 5 to 10 minutes longer than normal.
For a longer freezer storage time of several months, freeze the crust and apples separately. Freeze individual batches of the cooked, drained apple filling in quart-sized freezer bags (this doubles as a great alternative to canning). Then make the pie dough, shape it into two 4-inch disks, wrap the disks tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap and foil, and freeze. When you're ready to make the pie, simply thaw the apples and crust in the refrigerator the night before, assemble as per the recipe instructions, and bake as directed. Of course, you can always just freeze the apples and make the crust fresh the day you bake the pie.