Apple Pie
October 12th, 2008
“Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness.”
-Jane Austen
After visiting Rosabella’s Garden Bakery and having a delicious slice of apple pie, I came home armed with Gravensteins and tips for the perfect crust and immediately set to baking my own apple pie.
Rose said that *ice cold* water is key for a good crust, so I put some water in the freezer to chill while I prepared the flour, salt, shortening, and butter. I used a combination of butter and shortening because they both have unique qualities that the other does not. Shortening is 100% fat (butter is only about 80% fat), and it makes for a flaky crust (it actually shortens gluten chains in the flour). Butter has a strong lead in the flavor category. Although some bakers prefer to use either butter or shortening for their dough, many mix the two to enjoy the advantages of each.
After adding small bit of cold butter and shortening to the sifted flour, use a pastry cutter to combine the flour and the fat. For a (traditional) flakier crust with crunchier edges, there fat should be about the size of peas, with a minority smaller than that. For a fluffier crust, continue to blend until the majority of the fat is smaller-about the size of large crumbs.
“…the goal is to cut the fat into the dry ingredients, usually with a pastry blender, leaving it in firm, separate pieces, some of it fine and crumblike and the rest the size of peas. The finer particles of fat coat the grains of flour, partially blocking the penetration of water and hindering the formation of gluten function. When the larger chunks of fat melt during baking, they leave gaps in the dough that fill up with steam and expand, separating the pastry into myriad flaky ledges” (The Joy of Cooking, 858).
At this point the water in the freezer should be good and cold, so it’s time to slowly add it to the blended fat and flour mixture. The amount of water necessary will be about 1/2 cup, but I didn’t measure. I just slowly added the water until the dough was just moistened. At this point, the dough should be refrigerated for about an hour, and then rolled out.
In my first apple pie experiment, I par-baked the crust in a 425 degree oven for approximately 10 minutes. In the second apple pie experiment, I did not. Although the bottom crust was slightly crispier in the first trial, the difference really is negligible.
The sliced apples covered with sugar and spices (I grated the cinnamon and nutmeg at home, and it does affect the flavor) should be added to the pie and then covered by the top crust. It’s important to cut the top crust, which allows the pie to vent during baking.
Basic Pie Crust (adapted from a recipe in Old Fashioned Pie Recipes)
- 3 cups (all-purpose) flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup fat (butter/shortening)
- approximately 1/2 cup ice water
Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Cut the fat into the flour mixture using a pastry blender (or two knives). Slowly add the icy water, work into a ball. (I work the dough with my hands while I’m adding the water to get a better sense of the texture and moisture of the dough.) The dough should be just moistened-it is important to maintain bits of fat in the dough. Divide dough into two balls (one for the bottom crust, one for the top crust) and refrigerate, covered with a tea towel or plastic wrap, for approximately an hour. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface.
Old-Fashioned Apple Pie (Old-Fashioned Pie Recipes)
- 1 unbaked 9″ pie shell
- 6-8 tart apples (I prefer Gravensteins) peeled, cored and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1 Tablespoon grated rind of lemon (I substituted 2 T fresh lemon juice)
In a mixing bowl combine sugars, flour, salt, spices, and rind. Pour sliced apples into sugar mixture and toss lightly to coat. Press one sheet of dough into a pie dish (glass is ideal, metal is fine). Add cinnamon/sugar apples. Cover with the other sheet of dough, and press the two sheets of dough together around the edge of the pie plate, using a fork or a pastry wheel. Cut the top of the pie in several places, to vent. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes.
Apple or lime, -nothing warms a home faster than the aroma of a freshly baked pie. Garden