Homemade Apple Pie and the Basics of Pie Making

To make the crust, combine the butter, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a food processor with a steel blade and pulse just until it resembles coarse crumbs. Slowly pour in the ice water and pulse just until combined and a dough ball forms. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.

To make the filling, peel, core and slice the apples. Combine them in a bowl with the sugar, lemon juice, flour, cinnamon and salt. As you mix you’ll notice quite a bit of liquid puddling in the bottom of the bowl. Strain the mixture into a colander before placing it in the pie shell.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. After the dough has chilled, cut it in half and roll each half on a well-floured surface into about a 10″ circle. Place one circle on the bottom of a 9″ pie dish and pour the apple mixture into the dish. Cut the tablespoon of butter into several pieces and dot the top of the filling with it.

Place the remaining dough circle on top of the filling and crimp the edges for a tight seal. With a knife, make a couple of slits in the top crust for steam to vent.

Brush the top of the pie crust with the milk and sprinkle with the tablespoon of sugar.

Place the pie dish on a sheet pan (to catch drips) and bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 1 hour. Remove the pie from the oven. Allow the pie to cool completely before slicing.