The Very Best Apple Pie
From the Kitchen
It was September 2015 and I was flipping through the pages of the newest issue of Bon Appetite magazine when a recipe in the RSVP letter section caught my attention. A reader from New York City wrote in and asked if they could get the recipe for the best apple pie they had ever tasted while visiting Macrina Bakery in Seattle. Not one to dismiss a chance to improve upon things, I eagerly read through the recipe. What in the world could possibly be the difference maker in something as straightforward as apple pie?
The apples are baked before being added to the rest of the filling ingredients. Does it make a difference? It sure does. That one extra step turns out one of the best apple pies every single time. I make up for the additional time by using a good store-bought pie crust. Knowing where to spend the effort—and where not to—is part of the recipe, too. The additional effort is rewarded in taste—and quite possibly the accolades this recipe will earn you.
The photograph here is from one I baked in 2016. Ten years later, this is still the apple pie I make. In my opinion, that says it all.
Serve it with something collected.
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*adapted from the Macrina Bakery recipe provided in the September 2015 issue of Bon Appetit magazine.
Ingredients
- 1 store-bought box of two rolled pie crusts
- 4 lbs. Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced into 1/2" slices
- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup plus 1 heaping tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 large egg, beaten for an egg wash
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss apples, 1 cup of granulated sugar, and 1/4 cup flour in a large bowl. Divide the apples between 2 parchment-lined baking sheets and bake until the apples are tender, 25-30 minutes. Let them cool to room temperature.
- Transfer apples and any juices that have accumulated on the parchment paper to a large bowl. Add the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and 1 heaping tablespoon of flour and toss to combine. You can chill the mixture for at least 1 hour, but I often skip this step and pour the filling right into the prepared pie shell.
- Place one rolled pie dough into a 9-inch deep dish pie dish. Pour the prepared filling in. Place the second rolled pie dough over the filling, covering the entire surface. Cut slits in the top to vent and brush with the egg wash. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar.
- Prepared pie can be chilled in the freezer for about 30 minutes or baked right away.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the pie dish on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until the crust is slightly golden. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking until the crust is a deep golden brown, about 50 minutes more. Let cool completely on a wire rack before serving. I prefer it slightly warm.