The Simple Massive-Format Apple Pie I Make Each Vacation Season (No Soggy Bottoms!)

Invite me to a potluck, and 9 occasions out of 10, I’ll present up with a dessert. In the summertime, when it’s scorching and ripe berries and stone fruit are plentiful, that dessert is normally a no-bake affair like Eton mess or trifle. However come wintertime, when it’s chilly sufficient to activate the oven, I begin churning out cozy, warming desserts like pies, galettes, and crisps. And once I know there are going to be loads of folks to feed, I attain for my belief baking sheet to make an apple slab pie, a big format dessert that by no means fails to please everybody in attendance.

The slab pie recipe under comes from our Birmingham, Alabama-based check kitchen colleague Nicole Hopper, who baked trays and trays of apple pie to nail down the perfect model. The pie has a evenly sweetened and subtly spiced filling of tender apples that maintain their form, supported by  a crisp, flaky crust. Don’t be shocked in the event you discover everybody on the get together flocking to your nook of the buffet desk, as a result of this pie is certain to be the star of the present.

5 Key Methods for Making an Wonderful Apple Slab Pie

1. Hold the dough chilly. For the flakiest crust, we suggest maintaining the dough chilly at each single step, which helps the butter keep agency. Begin with chilly elements, chill the dough till agency, and pop it again within the fridge any time you’re not actively working with it. Because the crust bakes, the butter melts, creating little pockets of steam within the dough that set into crispy, flaky layers.
2. Use the fitting apples. Although some kinds of apple could also be scrumptious eaten uncooked, they could be too mealy, moist, or candy when cooked, making them an unsuitable alternative for pie. The supreme apple for pie is one which’s simply candy and tart sufficient, and softens however nonetheless holds its form when cooked. We suggest utilizing Braeburn and Golden Scrumptious apples, which have a balanced taste and maintain their form nicely when cooked, although it’s also possible to use Granny Smith apples for a filling that’s barely extra tart.
3. A lattice is sweet however not crucial. Assembling a lattice makes for a formidable presentation, however in the event you’re brief on time or just want a totally lined pie, simply roll the dough out to an 18- by 12-inch rectangle about 1/8-inch thick, then place it over the filling. Trim the overhang, crimp as desired, and use a pointy paring knife to chop a number of slits into the highest of the dough to permit steam to flee—and that’s all there may be to it!
4. Bake the pie on a baking or pizza stone. The key to not having a soggy backside? Preheating the oven with a baking stone set on the oven rack, then baking the pie on prime of the heated stone. Most baking stones are made with ceramic or cordierite, which is superb at retaining warmth and ensures that the underside cooks evenly. (In the event you don’t personal a baking stone, you’ll be able to merely bake pie on the bottom rack in your oven as an alternative—the crust is likely to be barely much less crispy, however it can nonetheless be scrumptious.)
5. Test for shade to know when the pie is prepared. Some apple pie recipes might instruct you to make use of an instant-read thermometer to make sure that the filling hits 195ºF (90.5ºC). Not like an apple pie baked in a pie dish, nevertheless, a slab pie is rather more shallow, and the filling will attain 195ºF earlier than the crust is totally baked. One of the simplest ways to verify for doneness right here is to take a look at the colour of the crust: If it’s good and golden brown, you’re good to go.