By Sarah Murphy-Kangas, In Praise of Leftovers
Serves 12 if you have a steady hand and you’ve waited until the pie is completely cool before cutting it.
For dough
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup plus 1 to 4 tablespoons ice water
1. Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl (or pulse in a food processor). Blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse) just until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Drizzle 1/3 cup ice water over mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated.
2. Squeeze a small handful of dough: If it doesn’t hold together, add more ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until just incorporated, then test again. Do not overwork dough, or pastry will be tough.
3. Gather dough together, with a pastry scraper if you have one, and press into a ball. Divide in half and form into 2 disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
For filling
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1-1/2 lbs. tart apples (such as Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and each cut into 10 wedges (about 5 cups)
1-1/2 lbs. sweet apples (such as Golden Delicious), peeled, cored, and each cut into 10 wedges (about 5 cups)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 egg, lightly beaten, for egg wash
1. Put a large baking sheet on middle oven rack and preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Whisk together flour, zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and 3/4 cup sugar in a large bowl. Gently toss with apples and lemon juice.
3. Roll out one piece of dough (keep remaining piece chilled) on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13 inch round. Fit into a 9 inch pie plate. Trim edge, leaving a 1/2 inch overhang.
4. Spoon filling into shell.
5. Roll out remaining piece of dough on lightly floured surface into an 11-inch round. Cover pie with pastry round and trim with kitchen shears, leaving a 1/2 inch overhang. Press edges together, then crimp decoratively. Lightly brush top of pie with egg and sprinkle all over with remaining 1 Tb. sugar. (the pie pictured has cinnamon and sugar on top). With a small sharp knife, cut 3 steam vents in top crust.
6. Bake pie on hot baking sheet for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F and continue to bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, about 40 minutes more. Cool pie on a rack to warm or room temperature, 2 to 3 hours.
