ALL-AMERICAN APPLE PIE

Ingredients

Crust

380g all-purpose flour

10g sugar

4g baking powder

4g salt

210g chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

10g apple cider vinegar (to add with 60ml iced water)

Filling

1.3kg premium Washington state Red Delicious and Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced ¼” thick 130g granulated sugar

50g light brown sugar

10ml lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

30g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

2g ground cinnamon

2g ground nutmeg

2g kosher salt

1g ground allspice

30g all-purpose flour

50g golden raisins, optional

1 large egg (for egg wash) 1tbsp milk

2tbsp demerara sugar

Method

Pulse flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture is shaggy with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Transfer to a bowl and drizzle the iced water mixed with the cold apple cider vinegar over the mixture. Using a fork, mix gently until dough comes together in clumps, but butter pieces remain, adding more water by the tablespoon if it is too dry. The dough will be on the dry side; it will hydrate as it rests.

Separate the dough, roll into two disks and wrap in plastic. Rest in the freezer for at least an hour. Preheat oven to 190ºC and place the rack on the lower shelf of the oven. Roll out one disk of the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 33cm round. Transfer to a 22cm-diameter glass or ceramic deep-pie dish. Pick up edges and allow dough to lower down into the dish. Press to release any bubbles, allowing any excess dough to hang over the dish. Chill until firm, for about 20 minutes.

For the filling, toss apples, granulated sugar, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, kosher salt, allspice, flour and raisins (if using) in a large bowl. Pour the filling into the prepared crust.

Roll out the second disk of dough into a 30cm round and place on top of apple mixture. Press top and bottom crusts together to seal. Trim overhang to a little over a centimetre and crimp edges. Cut a few small slits into the top crust to allow steam to escape.

Beat egg with milk in a small bowl. Brush this egg wash over the crust and sprinkle with demerara sugar. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Place the pie dish on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 175°C, rotate pie and continue baking. Loosely cover it with foil if the crust is browning too quickly. Bake until the juices are bubbling and crust is golden brown, for about 50 to 60 minutes longer.

Transfer to a wire rack; let it cool for at least 4 hours before slicing. Serve with vanilla ice cream.