American recipe

Apple Pie

Name: Apple Pie
Prep time: 1 h 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American cuisine
Ingredients: 420 g plain flour; 8 g fine salt for pastry; 280 g cold unsalted butter, cubed; 150 ml ice water; 1400 g firm apples, peeled, cored and sliced; 150 g granulated sugar; 70 g light brown sugar; 35 g cornstarch; 6 g ground cinnamon; 1 g ground nutmeg; 20 ml lemon juice; 20 g unsalted butter for filling; 1 large egg for wash; 15 ml water for egg wash

A double-crust American apple pie with flaky butter pastry, a mound of tart-sweet apples and a glossy cinnamon-spiced filling that sets only after a long cool.

United States pie tradition

Prep: 1 hr 20 min
Cook: 1 hr 10 min
Total: 2 hr 30 min
Servings: 8

Double-crust American apple pie with a flaky golden top — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by Larry D. MooreSource page · Original file · CC BY 4.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

420 g
plain flour
8 g
fine salt for pastry
280 g
cold unsalted butter, cubed
150 ml
ice water
1400 g
firm apples, peeled, cored and sliced
150 g
granulated sugar
70 g
light brown sugar
35 g
cornstarch
6 g
ground cinnamon
1 g
ground nutmeg
20 ml
lemon juice
20 g
unsalted butter for filling
1
large egg for wash
15 ml
water for egg wash

Method

01
Mix the pastry dry ingredients
Whisk the flour and 8 g salt in a wide bowl until evenly distributed.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Cut in the cold butter
Toss in the cold butter and flatten pieces into irregular flakes, leaving a mix from pea-size pieces to thin broad shards.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Hydrate the dough
Drizzle in the 150 ml ice water while tossing. Stop once the dough holds together when squeezed; do not knead smooth.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Divide and chill the pastry
Divide the dough into 2 disks, one slightly larger for the base. Wrap and chill both for at least 60 minutes.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Season the sliced apples
Toss the apples with granulated sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice until evenly coated.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
06
Let the filling macerate
Let the apples stand for 20 minutes, tossing once halfway, until a glossy syrup begins to collect in the bowl.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
07
Roll and line the base
Roll the larger disk to about 33 cm across and fit it into a 23 cm pie plate without stretching, leaving the overhang in place.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
08
Fill the pie
Pile the apples into the crust, arranging them compactly, pour over the collected syrup and dot the top with the 20 g butter.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
09
Roll the top crust
Roll the second disk to about 30 cm across and cut several steam vents in the centre.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
10
Seal and crimp the pie
Lay the top crust over the apples, trim the two layers to an even 2 cm overhang, fold them under together and crimp firmly all around.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
11
Chill the assembled pie
Refrigerate the assembled pie for 20 minutes while the oven heats to 220°C with a rimmed baking sheet inside.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
12
Egg-wash the crust
Beat the egg with 15 ml water and brush a thin even coat over the cold top crust, avoiding puddles along the crimp.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
13
Bake hot, then reduce the heat
Bake at 220°C for 20 minutes, then reduce to 190°C and continue baking for 40–50 minutes until the crust is deep golden and filling bubbles through the vents.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
14
Cool until the filling sets
Cool the pie on a rack for at least 4 hours before slicing so the starch-thickened juices set instead of flooding the plate.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Measure baking ingredients by weight and keep butter, eggs and dairy at the temperature the method calls for.
Cool baked desserts gradually before cutting; residual heat finishes the centre and a clean slice needs time to set.

Common mistakes

Overmixing after flour or eggs are added can toughen pastry, inflate cheesecake or make cookies cakey.
Cutting before the centre is fully cool makes custards, fruit fillings and soft cookies appear under-set.

Substitutions

Use the same type of flour where structure matters; changing protein level can noticeably alter crust, cake or cookie texture.
Unsalted butter is easiest to control in baking; if using salted butter, reduce the added salt to compensate.

Storage

Cool completely before storing airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days. Freeze well wrapped for longer storage.

Cultural context

Apple pie predates the United States, but in American culture it became a powerful symbol of home baking and national identity, adapted to locally grown apples and regional pie traditions.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

American apple pie — Photograph by Larry D. Moore; CC BY 4.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to American recipes

Apple Pie

Ingredients

Method

Mix the pastry dry ingredients

Cut in the cold butter

Hydrate the dough

Divide and chill the pastry

Season the sliced apples

Let the filling macerate

Roll and line the base

Fill the pie

Roll the top crust

Seal and crimp the pie

Chill the assembled pie

Egg-wash the crust

Bake hot, then reduce the heat

Cool until the filling sets

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

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