Apple Pie Flaky Crust (Printable)

Tender spiced apples inside a flaky double crust, served warm and ideal with vanilla ice cream.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pie Crust

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
05 - 6 to 8 tablespoons ice water

→ Apple Filling

06 - 6 to 7 medium apples (mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
07 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
08 - 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
09 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
10 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
11 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
12 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
13 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
14 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

→ For Assembly

15 - 1 egg, beaten
16 - 1 tablespoon milk
17 - 1 tablespoon coarse sugar (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Whisk together flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Cut in cold butter using a pastry blender or fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add ice water, stirring until dough forms. Divide into two disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
02 - Combine sliced apples with granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, flour, and lemon juice in a large bowl; toss to coat evenly. Set aside.
03 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out one dough disk on a floured surface to fit a 9-inch pie dish. Fit crust into dish and fill with apple mixture, mounding slightly. Dot with butter pieces. Roll out second dough disk and place over filling. Trim excess dough, seal and crimp edges, and cut slits on top crust for steam.
04 - Whisk egg and milk, brush over top crust, and sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired. Bake on lower rack for 45 to 55 minutes until crust is golden and filling bubbles. Cover edges with foil if browning too fast.
05 - Allow pie to cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature, optionally with vanilla ice cream.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The contrast between the crispy, buttery crust and soft, spiced apples is honestly addictive, especially straight from the oven.
  • You'll feel like a real baker, even if this is your first time making pie from scratch.
  • It fills your whole house with the kind of aroma that makes people ask what's cooking before they even walk through the door.
02 -
  • The dough needs to stay cold throughout the entire process, so if your kitchen is warm or your hands are warm, chill your bowl and utensils beforehand—this single step is the difference between flaky and tough.
  • Don't skip the two-hour cooling time even though it feels like forever; the filling continues to set as it cools, and cutting into a warm pie will result in a soupy slice.
03 -
  • If your filling looks too liquid after you've cooked it, it probably wasn't given enough time to cool; resist the urge to cut into a warm pie no matter how much your kitchen smells amazing.
  • Make your dough the day before and keep it in the fridge overnight—it actually improves overnight as the flour fully hydrates, giving you a more tender crust and less shrinkage when it bakes.
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