Rose Levy Beranbaum's Luscious Apple Pie (2024)

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Luscious apple pie from "The Baking Bible" by Rose Levy Beranbaum.

(Ben Fink)

Luscious Apple Pie

Excerpted from "THE BAKING BIBLE" (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $40) by Rose Levy Beranbaum

Serves 8

A commenter on my blog came up with the idea to add thickened apple cider to the apples in an apple pie to make more sauce in the filling—a request from her husband. I tried the idea and love the luscious texture and added flavor the apple cider gives to the apples. I still like to concentrate the apples' juices to keep the bottom of the crust from getting soggy and to add a wonderful caramel undertone to the filling. — Rose Levy Beranbaum

RELATED:

Holiday baking with Rose Levy Beranbaum

Oven Temperature: 425°F/220°C
Baking Time: 45 to 55 minutes

Special Equipment: One 9 inch pie plate | An expandable flan ring or 12-inch round cardboard template | A baking stone or baking sheet | A foil ring to protect the edges of the crust

Perfect Flaky and Tender Cream Cheese Pie Crust
Makes 22 ounces/624 grams

In my book "The Pie and Pastry Bible," I have many pie crusts, but in recent years, when I bake a pie, the pie crust I always turn to is this one. I am offering it here for all the different sizes of pies in this book. If you want to use this pie crust for a savory pie, use one and a quarter times the salt.

I always use pastry flour because it produces the perfect ratio of tenderness to flakiness. Bleached all-purpose flour, with its higher protein content, will not be as tender, and unbleached all-purpose flour will be less tender still. There are two solutions if you are unable to find pastry flour. The first is to cut the all-purpose flour with cake flour. Use two parts bleached all-purpose flour to one part cake flour by weight or almost two to one by volume. The second solution is to use bleached all-purpose flour and work the dough as little as possible to create a minimum of elasticity. The food processor method is the easiest way to mix the dough because it's faster and the dough gets handled less and stays more chilled, but if you work quickly, the hand method will produce a crust that will be slightly flakier. With either method, be sure to keep the ingredients very cold to maintain flakiness. — Rose Levy Beranbaum

Dough for a Standard Double Crust or 14 Strip Lattice 9 Inch Pie

Ingredients:
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks)/6 ounces/170 grams unsalted butter, cold
2½ cups plus 1 tablespoon/10.2 ounces/290 grams pastry flour (or bleached all-purpose flour)
½ teaspoon/3 grams fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon/1.1 grams baking powder (use only an aluminum-free variety)
½ cup/4.5 ounces/128 grams cream cheese, cold
3 tablespoons (44 ml)/1.5 ounces/43 grams heavy cream
1 tablespoon (15 ml) cider vinegar

Directions:
FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD

1. Cut the butter into small (about ½ inch) cubes. Wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it until frozen solid, at least 30 minutes.

2. In a gallon-size reclosable freezer bag, place the flour, salt and baking powder, and freeze for at least 30 minutes. In the food processor, place the flour mixture.

3. Cut the cream cheese into 3 or 4 pieces and add it to the flour. Process for about 20 seconds, or until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

4. Add the frozen butter cubes and pulse until none of the cubes is larger than the size of peas. (Toss with a fork to see the size better.)

5. Remove the cover and add the cream and vinegar. Pulse until most of the butter is reduced to the size of small peas. The mixture will be in particles and will not hold together.

6. Spoon it into the plastic bag, or, wearing latex gloves (which help to prevent sticking), empty it onto the counter. (For a double crust pie, it is easiest to divide the mixture in half. Spoon one-half into the bag, knead as described below and then repeat with the second half.)

7. Hold either side of the bag opening and alternate using the heel of your hand and your knuckles to knead and press the mixture, from the outside of the bag, until most of the mixture holds together in one piece. Cut open the bag and empty the dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Use the plastic wrap to finish kneading together the dough just until it feels slightly stretchy when pulled. (If using latex gloves, use the heel of your hand to push and flatten the dough against the counter.)

HAND METHOD
1. Place a medium mixing bowl in the freezer to chill. Cut the butter into small (about ½ inch) cubes. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Place the flour, sal, and baking powder in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Add the cream cheese and rub the mixture between your fingers to blend the cream cheese into the flour until it resembles coarse meal.

3. Spoon the mixture, together with the cold butter, into a gallon-size reclosable freezer bag. Express any air from the bag and close it. Use a rolling pin to flatten the butter into thin flakes. Place the bag in the freezer for at least 10 minutes, or until the butter is very firm.

4. Transfer the mixture to the chilled bowl, scraping the sides of the bag. Set the bag aside.

5. Sprinkle the mixture with the cream and vinegar, tossing lightly with a silicone spatula. Spoon the mixture back into the plastic bag. (For a double crust pie, it is easiest to divide the mixture in half. Spoon one-half into the bag, knead as described below and then repeat with the second half.)

6. Hold either side of the bag opening and alternate using the heel of your hand and your knuckles to knead and press the mixture, from the outside of the bag, until it holds together in one piece and feels slightly stretchy when pulled.

Divide the Dough

For a pie shell and 10-strip lattice, divide the dough into two-thirds and one-third. Use about 9.5 ounces/269 grams for the shell and the rest for the lattice, flattening the smaller part into a rectangle. Wrap each piece and refrigerate for 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

For a double crust or 14-strip lattice pie, divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Wrap each piece and refrigerate for 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

Store Refrigerated, up to 2 days; frozen, 3 months.

Roll the Dough for the Bottom Crust

Remove the dough for the bottom crust from the refrigerator. If necessary, let it sit for about 10 minutes, or until it is malleable enough to roll.

On a floured pastry cloth, pastry mat or between two sheets of lightly floured plastic wrap, roll the dough into a 1/8 inch thick disc, 12 inches in diameter or large enough to line the bottom of the pie plate and extend slightly past the edge of the rim. Lift the dough from time to time and add flour as necessary to keep it from sticking. Before measuring the dough, make sure to lift it from the surface to allow it to shrink in so that it doesn’t retract when set in the pie plate. Use the expandable flan ring, or a small sharp knife with the cardboard template as a guide, to cut a 12 inch disc of dough.

Line the Pie Plate

Transfer the dough to the pie plate, easing it into place. If necessary, trim the edge almost even with the edge of the plate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.

Filling

Ingredients:
8 cups (sliced )/2 pounds (sliced)/907 grams (sliced) about 6 medium baking apples
1 tablespoon (15 ml)/0.6 ounce /16 grams lemon juice, freshly squeezed
¼ cup, firmly packed/1.9 ounces /54 grams light brown Muscovado sugar, or dark brown sugar
¼ cup/1.8 ounces/50 grams granulated sugar
½ to 1½ teaspoons/1.1 to 3.3 grams ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
¼ teaspoon/1.5 grams fine sea salt
½ cup (118 ml)/4.3 ounces/122 grams unpasteurized apple cider, unsweetened
½ tablespoon/5 grams cornstarch (for the apple cider)
2 tablespoons/1 ounce/28 grams unsalted butter
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon/12 grams cornstarch (for the apples)

Directions:

1. Prepare the apples. Peel the apples and slice them in half. Use a melon baller to remove the cores and a small sharp knife to cut away any remaining peel. Slice the apples ¼ inch thick. Weigh or measure the apple slices and toss them with the lemon juice.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Add the apples and toss to coat them with the sugar mixture. Let the apples macerate at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.

3. Thicken the apple cider. In a small saucepan, stir together the apple cider and the ½ tablespoon of cornstarch. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. It will become very thick. Scrape it into a small bowl, cover tightly and set it aside.

4. Drain and concentrate the apple juices. Transfer the apples and their juices to a colander suspended over a bowl to capture the liquid. The mixture will release at least ½ cup/118 ml/5 ounces/142 grams of liquid.

5. Transfer this liquid to a 4-cup microwavable measure, with a spout that has been lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray. Add the butter and microwave for about 6 to 7 minutes until reduced to about 1/3 cup/79 ml/3.1 ounces/88 grams—or a little more if you started with more than ½ cup of liquid. It will be syrupy and lightly caramelized. Watch carefully to prevent burning. Alternatively, reduce the liquid in a saucepan, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat. Swirl but do not stir it.

6. Complete the filling. Transfer the apples to a large bowl and toss them with the 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of cornstarch until all traces of it have disappeared. Pour the reduced syrup over the apples, tossing gently. (Do not be concerned if the syrup hardens on contact with the apples; it will dissolve during baking.) Scrape in the thickened apple cider and again toss gently to mix it in. Spoon the apples into the dough-lined pie plate. Moisten the border of the bottom crust by brushing it lightly with water.

7. Roll the dough for the top crust and crimp. Roll out the dough for the top crust large enough to cut a 12-inch disc. Use the expandable flan ring, or a sharp knife with the cardboard template as a guide, to cut the disc of dough.

8. Place the top crust over the apple filling. Tuck the overhang under the bottom crust border and press down all around the top to seal it. Crimp the border using your forefinger and thumb or a fork, and use a small sharp knife to make 5 evenly spaced 2 inch slashes in the top crust, starting about 1 inch from the center and radiating toward the edge.

9. Cover the pie loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 1 hour before baking to chill and relax the dough. This will maintain flakiness and help to keep the crust from shrinking.

10. Preheat the oven 45 minutes or longer before baking, set an oven rack at the lowest level and place the baking stone or baking sheet on it. Place a large sheet of nonstick aluminum foil or foil lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray on top of the stone to catch any juices. Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C.

11. Bake the pie. Place the foil ring on top of the pie to protect the edges from overbrowning and set the pie on the foil-topped baking stone. Bake for 20 minutes. For even baking, rotate the pie halfway around. Continue baking for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the juices bubble through the slashes and the apples feel tender but not mushy when a cake tester or small sharp knife is inserted through a slash.

12. Cool the pie. Cool on a wire rack for at least 4 hours before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Store: Room temperature, 2 days; refrigerated, 4 days.

Notes: It’s fine to combine three or four kinds of apples, but be sure to choose apples with a low water content. Some of my favorites are Macoun, Cortland, Jonathan, Stayman Winesap, Rhode Island Greening, Golden Delicious, York Imperial, Northern Spy, Newtown Pippin, Idared, Pink Lady and Granny Smith.

If the apples are very tart, add up to ¼ cup/1.8 ounces/50 grams more sugar.

If using a very strong specialty cinnamon, use ¼ to ¾ teaspoons, depending on how much of a cinnamon flavor you want to give to the apples.