This made from scratch simple deep dish apple pie is a labor of love. But then, what pie isn’t? Baking a pie is quite rejuvenating for me. What can be a better way to usher in autumn and my birth month than baking this deep dish apple pie.
This one is a sweetheart among all the pies I bake. With its perfect flaky crust and sweet tender apple filling it is a great recipe to induct in your repertoire of pie recipes. As with all pies, there are two components to this pie, the crust and the filling.
For that flakey crust, it is important to start with very cold butter, shortening and ice water. After the dough is formed, it needs to chill for some time in the refrigerator and it is your time to relax until you roll it out. Take out the dough five minutes before you roll out, it will help to soften out the dough and make it more pliable. Never roll dough by rolling back and forth over the same section . Each time you press on the same spot, more gluten develops that can toughen the dough. Roll dough outward from centre to edge, applying gentle uniform pressure. Don’t stretch the dough when you are placing it on the pie plate. Stretching equates to shrinking, therefore pay close attention to not stretch it.
For the pie filling, I cook the apples with the sugar and spices over medium heat. Pre-cooking the apples gets rid of excess moisture and actually strengthens the internal structure of the apples, making them better to hold their shape when baked. The two kinds of apples and two kinds of sugars help to achieve a fuller, more balanced flavor. I am not content with just cinnamon, so I add a little nutmeg to my filling.
Fill up your home with the aroma of this deep dish apple pie and warm up the hearts of the people surrounding you by sharing a slice of it.
Recipe
Dough for the Double Crust Apple Pie
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
 | 2 ½ cups all purpose flour |
| 1 ½ sticks (12 tablespoons) very cold unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch cubes |
| ¼ cup very cold vegetable shortening |
| ½ teaspoon salt |
| 5-7 tablespoons ice water |
| Instructions | |
|---|---|
| Pulse in food processor flour, butter, shortening, and salt (alternately blend in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small pea-sized butter lumps |
| Drizzle 5 tablespoons of ice water evenly over the mixture. Pulse until incorporated (or stir with a fork) |
| Squeeze a small handful of dough. If it doesn’t hold together, add more ice water ½ tablespoon at a time, pulsing (or stirring) until incorporated. The amount of water you’ll need also depends on how much moisture there is in the air where you live. Be attentive here, too much water will make a sticky dough. Too little, it will crack and break as you attempt to roll out the dough |
| Transfer dough onto a work surface and knead 2 or 3 times just to help the dough come together |
| Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Form each one into a ball, and flatten into a 4 to 5 inch disc |
| Wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. The dough needs some time to chill and relax |
Note: The dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. It can also be frozen, well wrapped, for up to 1 month.
Deep Dish Apple Pie Filling
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
| 3 tablespoons butter |
| 2 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced half inch thick |
| 2 pounds Macintosh apples, peeled, cored and sliced half inch thick |
| ½ cup sugar |
| ½ cup brown sugar |
| 1 lemon, juiced |
| 4 tablespoon all purpose flour |
| 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon |
| ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg |
| ½ teaspoon salt |
| 1 egg beaten to blend with 1 tablespoon water (for glaze) |
| 2 tablespoons granulated or raw sugar |
| Instructions | |
|---|---|
| Heat a large sauté pan |
| Melt butter, add sliced apples and sauté for 2 minutes |
| Add the sugars, lemon juice and flour. Continue to sauté for another 2 minutes |
| Season apples with cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt |
| Mix thoroughly and remove from heat |
| Let the filling cool down |
Assemble the Deep Dish Apple Pie
| Instructions | |
|---|---|
| Preheat oven to 400 degree F |
| Take out one half of the pie dough from the refrigerator. Let it stand at room temperature for 5 minutes to soften slightly |
| Roll dough on lightly floured surface to 13 inches in diameter, about ⅛ inch thick |
| Transfer it to a 9 and half inch deep glass pie dish. I wrap two ends over the rolling pin, carefully lift it and gently place it in the pie plate. It is important not to stretch the dough when you are placing it in the pan. That is why you roll the dough into a bigger circle than the diameter of your pie plate |
| Fold in overhang, forming double-thick sides |
| Return the pie shell to the refrigerator and chill for about 15 minutes |
| Take out the pie shell from the refrigerator and spoon the cooled pie filling into the pie shell |
| Take out the other half of pie dough and let it sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes. Roll out the the dough on a lightly floured surface to 12 inches in diameter |
| Place it on top of the apple filling |
| Press top and bottom dough edges together to seal. Crimp edges decoratively |
| Using a sharp knife, cut 5 slits on top of dough to allow steam to escape during baking |
| Brush dough with egg glaze |
| Sprinkle with sugar |
| Put pie dish on a rimmed baking dish |
| Bake for 15 minutes |
| Reduce oven temperature to 375 degree F |
| Continue baking until the pie is golden brown and juices are bubbling thickly, for about another 40 minutes. Cover pie loosely with aluminum foil if it starts to brown quickly |
| Once outside the oven, put pie dish on a wire rack and let it cool for one hour |
| Serve pie warm or at room temperature |
Inspiration: Fall flavors
If you make this Simple Deep Dish Apple Pie, please leave a comment. I would love to hear from you! And if you do make this recipe, please don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or your favorite social media platform! I would love to see pictures of your creations.
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