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.