Apple Pie With White Sonora Wheat Crust Food

THE BEST APPLE PIE

Steps:

• For the dough: Pulse the flour, granulated sugar and salt in a food processor to combine. Add the butter and process until the largest pieces of butter are pea-size. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Stir the vodka, vinegar and 1/4 cup ice water in a small bowl (or 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon ice water if you're not using vodka). Drizzle the wet ingredients over the dough, and then mix with a fork until shaggy pieces form. Knead the dough in the bowl with your hands a couple of times until it comes together (it will look quite dry, which is fine). Transfer the large clumps of dough to a work surface. Drizzle 1 tablespoon ice water over any remaining smaller bits of dough in the bowl and knead again to bring it together. If the remaining dough is still too dry to come together, add more ice water in 1 tablespoon increments. Add to the dough on the work surface and press together into a single mass, incorporating any dry bits. Then pat the dough into a 1-inch-thick block. Divide the block into 4 pieces with a bench scraper or knife. Stack the pieces on top of one another, tucking any unincorporated dry bits in between the layers. Flatten the dough into a 3/4-inch-thick block. Repeat this process (cutting, stacking and flattening) three more times; this creates layers of butter in the dough that produces a wonderful flaky, almost puff pastry-like crust.
• Divide the dough in half and form into 1-inch-thick discs; wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or preferably overnight. The dough can be made 3 days ahead. Keep it refrigerated or freeze it for up to 3 months.
• To fill and assemble: Peel, core and slice the apples into 1/2-inch wedges. Toss the apples, brown sugar, flour, butter, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt, allspice and nutmeg in a large bowl. Let the fruit sit for 30 minutes to extract the juices.
• Meanwhile, soften one dough disc at room temperature for 5 minutes. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly flour your work surface. Roll the dough out to 1/8-inch thick (about 16 inches in diameter). Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate. Soften the second disc at room temperature for 5 minutes. Then roll it out to the same thickness and diameter as the first disc.
• Carefully transfer the second disc to a 9-inch pie dish. Lift the edges so the dough slumps down into the dish. Press the dough firmly against the sides and bottom of the dish. Trim the edges, leaving about a 1-inch overhang. Refrigerate for 5 minutes to firm up. Remove the first disc from the refrigerator and let it soften for 5 minutes.
• Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Line another rimmed baking sheet with foil and place it on the center rack.
• Scrape the apple filling into the pie dish, creating a mound in the center. Beat the egg with 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl and brush the edges of the dough. Place the other disc over the filling. Trim the edges, leaving about a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold the bottom edge up and over the top edge; press together to seal. Crimp the edge and brush the top with egg wash. Sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Cut several vents in the top evenly spaced. Freeze the pie for 10 minutes.
• Put the pie dish on the preheated baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 375 degrees F. Continue to bake for 45 minutes, and then loosely tent with foil. Continue baking until the crust is a deep golden brown and the juices are thick and vigorously bubbling, 35 to 45 minutes longer. The juices will start to bubble at around 75 minutes, but they will thicken and bubble faster in the last 15 minutes; don't be tempted to pull it out until the bubbles are really going. (If using a clear pie dish, check underneath to make sure the bottom crust is evenly browned.) Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let it cool at least 4 hours before serving. (Yes, it smells amazing, and yes, people love warm pie. But if you don't give it time to set up properly, the filling will be runny when you cut into it.)

APPLE PIE WITH WHITE SONORA WHEAT CRUST

Steps:

• CRUST
• If you are homemilling the White Sonora wheat, try to do it at least 30 minutes before you mix the dough, so there is time to refrigerate/freeze the flour to cool it down. I mill right into my stand mixer bowl, cover it and put it in the refrigerator.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer/paddle attachment or food processor/metal blade, briefly pulse or whisk the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter pieces and mix until they are about thumb-nail size. You can also do this by hand by smashing all of the butter pieces with your thumb or a spoon. Then add the cold water and mix for just a few seconds until the water is incorporated.
• Flour your counter and remove the dough from your bowl. Bring it together and knead the dough about 5 times.
• Flour the counter again and the dough on all sides. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle about 1/2" thick. Cut the dough in half, and fold each half into two small squares. Wrap them and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to three days. You can freeze the dough for up to three months.
• Do not bring the dough out of the refrigerator until you have peeled and cut the apples for the pie filling, as that can take 30+ minutes and cool dough is easier to work with.
• FILLING
• Cut, peel and slice 6-8 apples.
• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Then add the flour and cornstarch, and stir to form a paste. Let it come up to a simmer. Then add the water, brown sugar and white sugar. Bring to a simmer again, and turn off the heat. Stir in the ground cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
• ROLLING AND CUTTING THE CRUSTS
• Bottom
• After your apple pieces and filling sauce are ready, remove the pie crust dough from the refrigerator. On a floured counter, roll one of the cold dough pieces into a square about 12" x 12".
• Using a bench scraper if needed, fold the dough in half and then quarters. Lift it into a standard pie plate, center it and unfold it. Gently press it into the pie plate. Trim any overhanging dough to the edge of the plate. Briefly knead the scraps together and set them aside.
• Re-flour your counter, and roll the second cool dough into a square about 12" x 12".
• Preheat the oven to 425F.
• Solid Top
• Fill the bottom crust with the apple pieces. Pour the warm filling sauce onto the apple pieces. (There is no need to mix it.) Cover with the second crust dough, trim the excess, and crimp the edges together.
• Brush with beaten egg, sprinkle with sugar, and cut a few vent slits in the middle of the pie.
• Skip to the Baking instructions below.
• Lattice Top
• Cut 10-12 diagonal strips about 1 inch thick on the rolled out second dough. You may have 2 extra strips when finished. Look at the photo gallery to get a sense of the gaps size needed to be able to pour the filling through. If you want a tight weave, add the filling before laying the lattice top.
• Fill the bottom crust with the apple pieces. Do not add the filling sauce yet.
• Lay five lattice pieces east-west and then, starting with the longest middle piece, lay a north-south strip. Weave it over and under the east-west strips. Do this working outward with two more strips on each side. (See gallery for pictures of this process.)
• Trim the excess dough from the ends of the lattice and crimp the edges of both crusts together.
• Stir the filling sauce. If it has thickened, reheat it to thin it, then pour it slowly over the lattice, mostly in the middle, avoiding pooling at the edges of the pie. It will distribute nicely inside the pie during the long bake, and the crust won't need an egg wash or sugar.
• For hand pies, roll the dough scraps until 1/8-1/4 inch thick, cut into several pieces, add a dollop of jam to one side of each piece, then fold, crimp and bake in a pan next to the pie for 20-25 minutes.
• BAKING
• Put the uncovered pie in the preheated oven and bake it for 15 minutes at 425F.
• Lower the temperature to 350F, slide a baking sheet under the pie to catch any overflow, and add a pie shield or aluminum foil around the edge of the crust.
• Bake for an additional 35-45 minutes, until the apples are soft and you see bubbling through the lattice or vents.
• Let the pie cool 30-60 minutes before serving.

PERFECT APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the pieces of butter and shortening and pulse until the mixture is crumbly with lots of pea and chickpea-size clumps of butter and shortening within.
• Add the water and pulse until the mixture is evenly moistened and very crumbly. Dump the dough crumbles onto a work surface and divide into two piles, with one pile about 15% bigger than the other (13 oz and 11.5 oz). Make two balls of dough and pat each one into a 5-inch disc. Wrap the discs in plastic and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.
• Take the larger disc of dough out of the refrigerator. Dust your work surface lightly with flour and place the dough on top; sprinkle a little flour over the dough. Use your hands to quickly knead the dough into a soft and malleable disc (don't overwork it; you want it just supple enough to roll).
• Roll the dough, adding more flour as necessary under and on top of the dough so it doesn't stick, into a 13-in circle. Carefully drape the dough over the rolling pin and transfer it to a 9-in deep-dish pie pan (it should be at least 1½ in deep). Gently fit the dough into the pan, easing it inwards rather than stretching it outwards. Trim the edges to ½ inch beyond the lip of the pie pan. Turn the edges under to create a rim on the crust. Press the rim against the lip of the pan, forming it into an even edge. Use any scraps to patch in any tears or thin areas. Place the crust in the refrigerator for 30 minutes while you heat the oven.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Set an oven rack in the middle position.
• Remove the pie crust from the refrigerator and place on a baking sheet (this makes it easy to move in and out of the oven). Cover the crust with a piece of parchment paper and fill it with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 20 minutes. Take the crust out of the oven; remove the parchment paper and beans/pie weights and tent the edges with a few strips of aluminum foil. (The foil will protect the edges from getting too dark.) Bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the dough is dry and golden. Don't worry if the bottom puffs up; just press it down gently with a flat spatula, such as a pancake turner, taking care not to puncture it. Let the crust cool to room temperature.
• Increase the oven temperature to 425°F.
• Meanwhile, combine the apples, lemon zest, lemon juice, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Toss until the sugar is dissolved and the apples are evenly coated. Let sit for at least 30 minutes.
• Drain the apples, collecting the syrupy juice in another bowl. Pour the syrupy juice into a 2-cup microwave-safe liquid measuring cup. Take note of the quantity and then heat on high power in the microwave, checking frequently, until the syrup is reduced by half. This will take about 4 minutes but keep a close eye on it as all microwaves are different. You don't want to cook it for too long, or it will turn into sticky caramel (see note below on how to correct this if it happens). The syrup should be just slightly thickened and still pourable. (Alternatively, you can boil the juices in a small pan on the stove.)
• Add the syrup back to the apples, along with the flour and cornstarch; toss to combine.
• Take the other piece of dough out of the fridge and roll into an 11-inch circle, using the same process described above. If necessary, use a little dough to patch up any holes in the bottom crust. Add the apple filling to the baked pie shell, compacting the apples as tightly as possible. (Too many air pockets will cause the crust to dome, creating a gap between the apples and the crust.) Place the rolled dough over top. Crimp the edges with a fork or flute with your fingers, sealing the top and bottom crust together. Work quickly, dusting your fingers with flour as necessary, so the dough doesn't get too warm.
• Brush the top crust with the beaten egg (or cream or milk). Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over the top crust. Cut a few slits in the top crust to allow the steam to escape.
• Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375°F, and bake for an additional 45 minutes, or until the top is golden and the filling is bubbly. Let the pie cool completely on a wire rack before cutting, about 4 hours.
• Note: Be sure to use baking apples that hold their shape when cooked, such as Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Fuji, Granny Smith, or Golden Delicious. And use a mix of different varietals for the best flavor.
• Note: If you accidentally over-reduce the syrup and it seizes up when you pour it over the apples, transfer the apple mixture to a large sauté pan and cook over high heat until the caramel melts. Let cool completely in the fridge before proceeding with the recipe.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The pie can be frozen for up to 3 months before or after baking it. (If freezing it unbaked, hold off on brushing the top crust with the beaten egg and sprinkling it with sugar; you can do that right before baking.) If baked, let it cool completely and place it in the freezer uncovered. When fully frozen, wrap the pie securely in foil and freeze. If the pie is unbaked, wrap it securely in foil and freeze. When ready to serve, proceed with baking instructions above (pie is likely to take a bit longer in the oven).

APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Mix together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon peel.
• Line one crust in a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Layer 1/3 of apples into pie crust. Sprinkle with sugar mixture and repeat until done. Sprinkle with lemon juice and dot with butter.
• Place second pie crust on top of filling and flute the edges. Cut vents in top crust and brush with milk for a glazed appearance if desired.
• Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 40 to 50 minutes.