Old-Fashioned Apple Pie

Rye flour adds a deep dimension of flavor and layers of crispness to a tried-and-true butter pastry, while a generous mound of apples cooks down to a thick, luscious layer of spiced fruit. I use a mix of sweet and tart varieties picked at local orchards, or I choose supermarket Golden Delicious, Galas, Honeycrisps, and Fujis to complement Granny Smiths. Not only do varieties other than Grannys provide natural sweetness, but they also have a range of textures, so each forkful melds applesauce-like softness with firmer bites.

TIP: Always bake the pie on a foil-lined half sheet pan, since overflowing apple juice is inevitable with a great apple pie.

makes one 9-inch pie

no eggs, no nuts

1. Stir the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and lemon juice in a large bowl. If you’re using all tart apples or if you like really sweet apple filling, stir in another ¼ to ⅓ cup (52 to 69 g) sugar. Add the apples and stir and fold until evenly coated. Let stand while the oven preheats.

2. Position a rack on the lowest rung of the oven and preheat to 425°F. Line a half sheet pan with foil. If the dough has been chilled for longer than 2 hours, let stand for 15 minutes before rolling.

3. Lightly flour a large sheet of parchment paper. Unwrap one disk of dough, place in the center of the paper, and cover with its plastic wrap. Roll into a 12-inch round, occasionally lifting and replacing the plastic wrap. Flip it over and peel off the parchment, then lift the dough with the plastic wrap and flip it into a 9-inch pie plate, gently pressing it into the bottom and up the sides. Discard the plastic. Freeze until ready to fill. Unwrap the remaining disk of dough and repeat the rolling, using the same parchment, this time into a 12½-inch round; set aside.

4. Place the frozen bottom crust on the prepared pan. Stir the filling again and spread a third of it in the pie plate, shuffling the apple slices around to fit them as compactly as possible, minimizing the space between them. Repeat with the remaining filling, piling the apples into a big tight mound. Dot with the butter. Lightly brush the rim of the bottom dough with water, then drape the top crust over the apples, centering it. Gently press the edges together. Use a pair of kitchen shears to trim overhang to ½ inch. Fold the overhang under and decoratively crimp the edges. With a small knife, cut four to five slits in the top of the dough to let steam escape while baking. If the dough has softened, pop the whole pie into the freezer until the dough is firm again, about 10 minutes.

5. Bake the pie for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling bubbling, about 45 minutes more. (The bubbles will be visible through the steam vents.) If the edges begin to brown too much, tent the edges with foil. You can pull up the foil under the pie to cover the rim of the crust.

6. Cool on the pan on a wire rack until warm. Carefully lift the pie plate off the foil and leave on the rack until the filling is set, at least 6 hours.

Make Ahead

The pie will keep uncovered at room temperature overnight. In fact, it cuts more cleanly and tastes better the next day, after the filling has had time to really set. Leftovers will keep for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.