Michael Smiths Whole Grain Crusted Apple Pie Food

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.

WHOLE GRAIN APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350F (180C).
• Put the dry pastry ingredients in one bowl and the dry crumble ingredients in the other, and whisk each well, evenly distributing the finer powders amongst the coarser ones.
• For the pastry, sprinkle the oil and water together over the dry ingredients. Work with your fingers until it's evenly mixed and moist. Form the dough into a ball. Lightly dust the ball with flour then toss it into a 9-inch (23-cm) pie plate. Press the dough evenly into the plate, taking care to avoid a thickening at the base of the sides, in the corner. Set aside.
• For the crumble, toss the vegetable oil into the remaining dry ingredients and work the mixture with your fingers until it's well distributed. Set aside.
• Mix and toss the apples, rosemary, whole-wheat flour and brown sugar together in a bowl. Transfer this mixture into the bottom crust and evenly top with the crumble mixture.
• Bake until it's golden brown on top and bubbling, about an hour or so. Serve it warm.
• Freestyle Twist: You can spice up this pie in any number of ways. Try cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice or cloves. Or be brave and add cardamom, cloves or mace.

MICHAEL'S UPSIDE DOWN APPLE PIE

Steps:

• To make pastry sift flour into a bowl. Cut cold butter into small pieces with a wire cheese cutter. Add butter to flour and work it into the flour with the back of a fork. Do not use your hands or anything that would add heat to the mixture. When the butter has been worked into the flour as much as possible, add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time and mix it in with a large spoon. It will probably only take 2 or 3 tablespoons of water to form the dough. As soon as the dough can be rolled into a ball in the bowl put it in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator.
• When the dough has been in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour, start to coat the bottom of the pie pan. I prefer to use the deepest pie pan I can find. Spread 1 tablespoon of butter over the bottom and sides of the pie pan. Depending on the size of the pan you might have to use more or less, but I like my coating to be generous. Then sprinkle 1/3 cup of brown sugar over the butter, with a light coating covering the bottom and sides. As with the butter you may have to use more or less depending on pan size. Then place the pecan nut halves, flat side up, on the bottom and sides of the pan. I start in the middle with 1 nut and then put the rest in circles around the center, closely spaced. Finish with a layer of nuts covering the side of the pan. The entire bottom and sides should be covered with nuts. Next take the dough out of the refrigerator, cut the ball in 1/2, wrap 1/2 in the plastic wrap and put it back in the refrigerator. Roll out the other 1/2 taking care not to handle the dough too much. Place the rolled out dough in the pie pan over the pecan nut coating, and trim the edges. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• To make the filling place 1/4 cup of butter and 1 cup of sugar in a small pan and cook over medium heat. When the butter and sugar have mixed into a liquid form add 1/2 vanilla bean. Stir the mixture constantly until it starts to turn brownish, or caramelized. Then remove it from the heat. Fill a large bowl with cold water and squeeze in 1/2 of the lemon. Peel the apples, cut into thin slices and put into the bowl with cold lemon water. I like to cut the slices rather thin, 1/8-inch or so. In a small bowl mix together 1 rounded teaspoon cinnamon, 1 pinch nutmeg, and 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Drain the apples in a colander and wipe all water out of the large bowl. Put the apples back in the bowl and sprinkle with the cinnamon, nutmeg and flour mixture. Mix until they are all covered.
• Take the pie pan out of the refrigerator and put 1/2 on the apples over the bottom pastry layer. Squeeze 1/2 of the lemon into the caramelized butter and sugar mixture, mix and pour half of the mixture through a sieve onto the apples. Layer the other 1/2 of the apples on top of that and pour on the rest of the caramelized mix. The pie should be just slightly over filled, and formed to a dome in the middle. Remove the second half of the pastry ball from the refrigerator and roll it out. Brush the bottom lip of the pie pastry with water to help form a seal. Place the rolled pastry on top of the pie and trim with kitchen scissors. Crimp the edges together with your fingers to make a good seal between the top and bottom pastry layers. Cut 3 small slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Place pie on a cookie sheet and wrap aluminum foil around the pie edges.
• Place the cookie sheet and pie in the center of the oven and allow to cook for 15 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and cook for an additional 25 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and check the crust to see if it is golden brown. You will probably have to continue to cook for another 5 to 10 minutes for the crust to turn golden brown. Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to set for 5 minutes. Then place a large plate over the top of the pie and flip it over. Gently lift the pie pan off of the pie. It should come off clean, but if any pecans stick to the pie pan remove them and put them back on the pie. Allow to cool at least 1 1/2 hours before cutting.

MICHAEL SMITH’S WHOLE GRAIN CRUSTED APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk oats, almond meal, brown sugar and salt together in a large bowl. Add butter and mix well until evenly combined. Add water and stir until mixture forms a cohesive dough. Knead once or twice to gather up any extra dry ingredients. Add a few more drops water if needed. Divide in half and form into 2 flattened discs, one slightly larger than the other. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm and ready to use (at least one hour). Toss the apples with the brown sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon. Using rice flour, dust your hands, the work surface, the roller and the dough, then roll the larger pastry disc out into a 12-inch round and fit it into an 8-inch pie plate. You will find the dough easy to work with but also easily torn, so patch as needed. You may find it easy to fold the disc into quarters than pick it up and unfold it over the pie plate. Add the apples. Roll out the other disc into a 12-inch round and place over top of apples. Trim and seal edges of pie and poke 3 or 4 vent holes into the top of the pie so that steam will be released and not blow out the crust. Place onto the bottom rack of the oven and bake for 1 hour or until the crust is golden and juices are bubbling.

WHOLE GRAIN CRUSTED APPLE PIE

Steps:

• For the Crust.
• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
• Whisk the flour, rolled oats, brown sugar and salt together in a large bowl. Add the oil and mix well. Add the water and stir just until the mixture comes together. Knead it once or twice to gather up all the dry ingredients. Add a few drops more of water if needed. Divide in half and form into 2 flattened discs. Chill until ready to use.
• For the Filling.
• Toss the apples with the honey, flour and cinnamon.
• Flour your hands, the work surface, the roller and the dough then roll one pastry disc out into a 12-inch round and fit it into an 8-inch pie plate. You may find it easy to fold the disc into quarters than pick it up and unfold it over the pie plate. Add the apples.
• Roll out the other disc into a 12-inch round and place over top of the apples. Trim and seal edges of pie and poke 3 or 4 vent holes into the top of the pie so that steam will be released and not blow out the crust. Place onto the bottom rack of the oven and bake for 1 hour, until crust is golden and juices are bubbling.