Dutch Apple Pie
User Reviews
5
Dutch Apple Pie
Description
The Dutch Apple Pie recipe begins with a flaky crust made from all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, and chilled unsalted butter cut into pea-sized pieces. Ice water is added gradually to bring the dough together, which is then shaped into a disc, chilled, rolled out, and fitted into a deep dish pie plate.
The filling combines equal weights of two types of apples: Golden Delicious sliced about 1/4-inch thick for a softer bite, and Granny Smith sliced thinner at 1/6-inch to provide tartness and texture variation. The apples are tossed with melted butter, lemon juice, sugar, flour, and cinnamon to meld flavor and prevent excess juice seepage during baking.
The crumb topping blends brown sugar, flour, nutmeg, salt, melted butter, and vanilla extract for a crisp, sweet finish that contrasts the tender apples beneath. The pie is baked after pre-baking the crust with pie weights to avoid sogginess.
Serving this pie offers a pleasing mix of textures and flavors with buttery crust, tart and sweet apple layers, and a crunchy topping. It’s well suited for dessert or special occasions.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup (142g) all-purpose flour scoop and level, unbleached
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp (heaping) salt
- 8 Tbsp (113g) unsalted butter well chilled, diced into small cubes
- 3 - 5 Tbsp water ice
Crumb Topping
- 1/2 cup packed (100g) light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (106g) all-purpose flour scoop and level, unbleached
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 6 Tbsp (85g) unsalted butter melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Apple Filling
- 1 1/4 lbs (4 small) golden delicious apple peeled cored and sliced 1/4-inch thick*
- 1 1/4 lbs (4 small) apple peeled, cored and thinly sliced 1/6-inch thick, Granny Smith variety
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice fresh
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 3 Tbsp (26g) all-purpose flour unbleached
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- To make crust: In a medium mixing bowl whisk together 1 cup flour, 2 tsp sugar and heaping 1/4 tsp salt. Add butter and cut into mixture using a pastry blender until there are just small pea size clumps of butter throughout.
- Add ice water 1 Tbsp at a time and toss until mixture is just moistened and comes together in bigger clumps. Gather mixture into a ball and shape and press into a smooth, 6-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Cover and refrigerate until dough is more firm, about 60 minutes.
- Remove dough, roll out into a 12 1/2-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Fold in half then into a quarter or wrap around a rolling pin and transfer to a 9 1/2 to 9-inch deep dish pie plate and unwrap. Fit to plate, flute edges if desired.
- Refrigerate until well chilled about 1 hour (or freeze for 15 minutes). Meanwhile preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Line crust with a sheet of foil or parchment paper (cover to edges), add dry beans, rice, sugar or pie weights to fill just level to the top. Bake pie in preheated oven 15 minutes.
- Hold all four corners of foil and remove beans. Prick bottom of pie crust about 10 times. Return to oven and continue to bake until it's starting to dry, about 8 - 12 minutes longer. Remove crust and let cool on a wire rack while you prepare the topping and filling.
- Move oven rack down one level from center. Reduce oven temperature to 350.
- For the crumb topping: Add brown sugar to a medium mixing bowl and break up with fingertips. Add 3/4 cup flour, nutmeg and salt and whisk.
- Stir vanilla into 6 Tbsp melted butter. Pour into flour mixture and toss until evenly moistened. Transfer to refrigerator while you prepare filling.
- For the apple pie filling: In a large mixing bowl toss sliced apples with remaining 2 Tbsp melted butter and lemon juice. Add sugar, 3 Tbsp flour, and cinnamon. Toss mixture to evenly coat.
- To assemble pie: Layer a handful or two of apple mixture into the pie dish at a time, spreading and pressing into an even layer and turning slices flat (this will help ensure you'll fit all of them in).
- Remove crumble from refrigerator, break into small clumps and sprinkle evenly over the top of the pie.
- Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in preheated oven until apples are almost fully tender when poked with a toothpick (they should have a just little give as they will continue carryover cooking as the pie cools), about 45 - 55 minutes. Check pie a few times throughout baking to ensure the topping or crust isn't overly browning, if needed tent with foil. If it's not browning enough you can move oven rack up one level.
- Remove pie from oven and let cool on a wire rack (it will take about 2 hours of cooling). Serve just warm with vanilla ice cream if desired.
Notes
- Slice apples across their short width (not lengthwise) to create smaller pieces that fit compactly in the pie.
- Golden Delicious and Granny Smith apples offer a good balance of sweetness and tartness; Jonagold or Braeburn can be substituted.
- Chilling the dough before baking helps develop a flaky crust.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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