Apple Pie
INGREDIENTS:
PIE CRUST:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more to dust
- 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 225g cold unsalted butter diced into pieces
- 7 tablespoons ice water
PIE FILLING
- 6-7 Granny Smith Apples peeled, cored (thinly sliced)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg + 1 tablespoon water (for egg wash)
METHOD:
PIE CRUST:
- Place flour, sugar and salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.
- Add cold diced butter and pulse the mixture until coarse crumbs form with some pea-sized pieces then stop mixing. Mixture should remain dry and powdery.
- Add ice water and pulse just until moist clumps or small balls form. Press a piece of dough between your finger tips and if the dough sticks together, you have added enough water. If not, add more water a teaspoon at a time. Be careful not to add too much water or the dough will be sticky and difficult to roll out.
- Transfer dough to a clean work surface, and gather dough together into a ball (it should not be smooth and DO NOT knead the dough). Divide dough in half and flatten to form 2 disks. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour before using.
PIE FILLING:
- Preheat oven to 200˚C. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour then simmer for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Whisk in water, sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and continue simmering 3 minutes, whisking frequently then remove from heat.
- Place apples in a large bowl. Sprinkle with cinnamon and toss to combine. Pour the sauce over the apples and stir to coat.
- Sprinkle your work surface with flour and roll out bottom pie crust to a 30cm diameter circle. Wrap it around your rolling pin to transfer it to the 20cm pie plate. Add apple mixture, mounding slightly in the center.
- Roll second crust into an 25cm round and cut into 10 even thickness strips using a pizza cutter. Arrange strips in a woven lattice pattern over the top. Beat together egg and water and brush the top with egg mixture.
- Bake at 200˚C for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 180˚C and continue baking another 45 minutes or until apples are soft and filling is bubbling through the vents. Rest at room temp 1 hour before serving.
