Note: I have made this recipe without referencing it for so long, I needed to change the online version so it matches with my current method. I added a bit more flour and reduced the oven by 5 degrees. The rest is the same.
This may be my favorite recipe! You can’t believe how fast and easy you can make a pie! My mom made a pie every single day- most were fruit pies and I always marveled at how fast she could make one. I have used just about everything inside of this pie crust but just make sure the dough is well chilled and the filling is not too juicy or it won’t hold together. The egg wash will act as a glue to keep it sealed. The glaze, if you decide to use one, will make it look like it came from a bakery but it is flakier without it.
To the left is an apple pie I made in minutes. On the right is the same crust, with local Chilton County peaches and blackberries and blueberries from my yard. Note: If you use frozen fruit for the filling, be sure to up the flour a bit so the filling is not too juicy to hold.
You can use this homemade pie crust to make almost any kind of pie, tart, pot pie, or crostata. Leave out the sugar for a savory pie The dough can hold up to a week in the refrigerator before you roll it out. You can make ahead and freeze it, also.
RUSTIC APPLE PIE
Prep Time: 20 minutes plus 1 hour chill time for the dough
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Pastry
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus 3 tablespoons and more for dusting to roll out the dough
2 tablespoons granulated or superfine sugar plus 1/2 tablespoon to sprinkle on crust
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 pound (1 stick) very cold unsalted butter, diced into cubes
3 tablespoons ice water plus 1 to 1½ more depending on how dough comes together
Filling
11/2 pounds apples (3 large semi-tart apples work best)
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1-2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (juice of a whole lemon, essentially)
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, diced into small pieces
Egg Wash (optional)
1 egg, well beaten
Glaze (optional)
½ cup Orange Marmalade, Apricot Preserves, or Apple Jelly
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 420 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Stretch a large piece of plastic wrap out on the counter and dust with flour, about 1 tablespoon.
For the pastry, place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine the dry ingredients. Add the cold cubed butter, a little at a time, pulsing between additions until the butter is the size of peas. Repeat until all the butter is in the bowl but pulse as little as possible. You want to see flecks of butter in the dough.
Next, with the motor running, add the ice water a tablespoon at a time through the feed tube-stop the machine just before the dough becomes a solid mass. Turn the dough onto the well-floured plastic wrap. Handle as little as possible. Form into a round (or whatever shape you want to roll out for the pie.) Don’t over handle or knead or the butter will melt. Fold the plastic around the disc. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. When you are ready to make the crostata, remove the disc from the refrigerator and allow it to sit on the counter for at least 5 minutes before you begin.
To roll out: Unfold the plastic Flour a rolling pin and put a little flour around the plastic and on both sides of the dough; roll the pastry into an 11-13” circle on the plastic wrap. Add flour as you need to so the dough does not stick. Wrap it over the rolling pin and transfer it to a baking sheet. Remove the plastic wrap.
For the filling, peel, core, and cut the apples. I like the look of slices- I usually slice my apples like this: cut 4 pieces, cutting around the core. Then slice those into half moon shapes. You can leave the peel on if you like but I usually don’t because you need the apples to look perfect if the peel is on. Put the apple into a bowl and toss with the lemon juice and the lemon zest. Next, add the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and allspice. Add the cold butter. Mix all of the ingredients together until the apples are well coated. Turn the apples out onto the crust, leaving a 1 1/2 to 2 inch border all the way around. Gently fold the border over the apples to enclose the dough, pleating it to make a circle. Finish with the egg wash to seal the folds and sprinkle with granulated sugar over the top and crust before baking.
Bake the crostata for 20-23 minutes, until the crust is nicely browned and the apples are tender. (Note: If you are not using the glaze, bake for another 5-7 minutes or until golden brown)
For the glaze: Microwave the preserves in a heatproof container for 10 seconds. Careful! It will bubble and be HOT! Remove the crostata from the oven. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the filling and the crust with the melted preserves. Return to the oven for 5-7 minutes or until the pie is golden brown.
Allow to cool slightly- at least 10 minutes before cutting. Add caramel sauce or a scoop of ice cream and it is even better! Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have. xox
