In partnership with Yes! Apples Ambassador, Josh Lehenbauer (@joshisbaking).

Look no further for the ultimate guide to mastering the art of the apple pie! Check out the full blog post for an in-depth walkthrough of every step of the process. 

Best For: Dessert
Prep Time: 1 hour
Chill Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Bake Time: 45-50 minutes
Yield: (1) 9 in. pie

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp table salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold
• ½ cup ice water + more as needed

Filling

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold
• 6-7 medium apples (we like Ambrosia, Cortland, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced to ~¼ in. thick
• 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cardamom
• ⅛ tsp ground clove
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1-2 Tbsp corn starch

Topping

• 1 large egg, lightly whisked
• 2 Tbsp Demerara or Turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Directions

Pie Dough

1. Cut butter into ½ in. cubes, then place on a small plate or bowl in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. The butter must be cold when working the dough!
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Add cold, cubed butter and toss to coat. Working quickly, squish each piece of butter between two fingers to create flat shingles of butter. Work until you're left with a mix of shingles and pea-sized bits of butter.
3. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add ¼ cup of ice water. Toss together until combined, adding the remaining ¼ of water little by little (1 tablespoon at a time) until the dough comes together. The texture will still be crumbly, not wet and sticky.
4. Split the dough in two and form discs. Wrap individually with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
5. After chilling, take one disc out and roll into a 10-12 in. square. Fold it in half from top to bottom and then from left to right, so that you’re left with a smaller square. Repeat this entire process one more time (rolling and folding a total of 2 times), and wrap tightly in plastic. Repeat with the other disc of dough. Chill in the fridge for 1 additional hour before handling. 

Filling

1. Toss prepared apples with lemon juice in a strainer set over a bowl. The juice will keep apples from browning while you prepare other ingredients.
2. In a large, deep skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add apples and toss to coat. Add sugar, spices, and salt, then toss once more. Cook over medium for 8-10 minutes.
3. Add apple cider vinegar and vanilla extract, then sprinkle in flour and 1 Tbsp. corn starch. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes until mixture thickens, stirring occasionally. You can add an extra tablespoon of corn starch if needed.
4. Remove from heat and cool completely before filling the pie crust. Cooling tip: spread the filling in an even layer on a baking sheet to cool even faster!

Assembly

1. While filling cools, take one disc of dough and, on a lightly floured surface, roll into a 12 in. circle, about ¼ in. thick. Sprinkle flour over the dough and rolling pin as needed to prevent sticking.
2. Lay dough over pie pan leaving 1-2 in. overhang around the edges. Refrigerate to keep cold.
3. Take out the second disc of dough. If you're not following the lattice method, cut out another 12 in. circle and refrigerate until ready to assemble. For the lattice method: roll the dough into a 12 in. x 14 in. rectangle and cut lengthwise in (12) 1 in. strips.
4. Pour cooled filling into the bottom crust and spread evenly with a spatula. Lay either the normal crust or lattice strips over the top of the pie. For the lattice, follow Josh's directions here.
5. If the dough is getting too soft/warm after assembly, return to the fridge for 10-15 minutes to cool before crimping the edges.
6. Place final pie in the freezer for 30 minutes before baking.

Baking

1. Preheat oven to 400º F with the rack in the middle position. Lightly whisk the egg for the egg wash.
2. After 30 minutes, brush egg wash over the top of the pie and sprinkle Demerara or Turbinado sugar on top.
3. Bake for 30 minutes on the center rack. Lower the temperature to 375º F and bake for another 15-20 minutes, covering the crust with foil if it starts to darken too quickly.
4. Allow to cool for several hours before serving.