Crisp-Bottom Apple Pie

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The classic double-crust apple pie, engineered so the bottom is as good as the top. The apples get a quick turn in a skillet, their juices are reduced to a caramel-thick syrup and locked in with cornstarch, and the whole pie starts on a screaming-hot sheet pan so the base sets before it can ever go soggy. No gap under the top crust, no puddle on the plate.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (315 g), plus more for rolling
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter (226 g), very cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 6 tbsp ice water, plus up to 2 tbsp more

• 3 1/2 lb apples, half Granny Smith and half Honeycrisp or Golden Delicious
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 large egg, separated (white for the base, yolk for the wash)
• 1 tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tbsp semolina or fine dry breadcrumbs
• 2 tsp turbinado or demerara sugar

Instructions

1. Make the dough: Whisk the flour, 1 tbsp sugar, and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl. Add the cold butter cubes and toss to coat, then flatten each cube between your fingertips into a rough shard. Keep working until the mixture looks like a pile of coarse flakes with pieces ranging from pea to almond size, about 3 minutes.
2. Stir the vinegar into 6 tbsp ice water. Drizzle it over the flour mixture in three additions, tossing with a fork. Squeeze a handful: it should hold together without crumbling. Add up to 2 tbsp more ice water only if needed. Divide into two discs, one slightly larger, wrap tightly, and refrigerate at least 1 hour (up to 2 days).
3. Cook the apples: Peel, core, and cut the apples into 1/2-inch-thick slices; you want about 10 to 11 cups. Toss in a large bowl with both sugars, the lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and 1/2 tsp salt. Let sit 20 minutes, stirring once, until a pool of juice collects.
4. Drain the apples in a colander set over a bowl, saving all the liquid (you should have 3/4 to 1 cup). Melt the 2 tbsp butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, add the drained apples, and cook, tossing gently, for 6 to 8 minutes, just until the slices bend without snapping but still have bite. Spread them on a rimmed baking sheet to cool.
5. Pour the reserved juices into the same skillet and boil over medium-high heat until reduced to about 1/2 cup and lightly syrupy, 4 to 6 minutes. Whisk the cornstarch with 2 tbsp cold water until smooth, whisk it into the simmering syrup, and cook 45 seconds until thick and glossy. Off the heat, stir in the vanilla. Scrape the thickened syrup over the cooled apples and fold to coat. Refrigerate the filling until fully cold, at least 30 minutes.
6. Roll the bottom crust: On a floured counter, roll the larger disc into a 13-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Ease it into a 9-inch glass or metal pie plate without stretching, letting the edges overhang. Roll the second disc into a 12-inch circle, slide onto a floured baking sheet, and refrigerate both for 20 minutes.
7. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven, set a heavy rimmed baking sheet directly on it, and preheat to 425°F for at least 20 minutes. The pan must be fully hot before the pie goes on.
8. Brush the inside of the chilled bottom crust with a thin film of egg white and dust with the semolina or breadcrumbs. Add the cold filling, mounding it slightly in the center and packing it gently so there are no air gaps. Lay the top crust over, trim both crusts to a 1/2-inch overhang, fold under, and crimp firmly. Cut 5 vents, each about 2 inches long, from the center outward.
9. Whisk the egg yolk with the cream and brush the top crust evenly, avoiding pooling in the crimps. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Set the pie directly on the preheated sheet pan and bake at 425°F for 25 minutes, until the crust is set and pale gold.
10. Reduce the oven to 375°F and bake 35 to 45 minutes more, until the crust is deep golden brown all over and you can see thick juices bubbling slowly at the vents. If the edges darken too fast, tent them with foil strips. Total baking time is 60 to 70 minutes.
11. Cool the pie on a wire rack for at least 4 hours before cutting; the filling and the bottom crust both need this time to set. Slice with a thin serrated knife and serve barely warm or at room temperature.
12. To serve warm the next day, reheat slices on a baking sheet at 350°F for 12 minutes to re-crisp the base.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

Frozen Chocolate–Caramel Peanut Nougat Bars

Blueberry Peach Buckle with Almond Streusel

Creole Cream Cheese Cheesecake with Salted Caramel and Dark Chocolate

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem