Nothing beats a homemade pie, and people are always on the lookout for quick, easy-to-make recipes. Many home cooks try different pie recipes on videos and blogs that are easily customizable, i.e., you can add chocolate, fruits, and even nuts to the batter or the filling. However, baking a pie requires precision so that you get a rich dessert with a light, flaky crust. So, here is everything you need to make an apple pie.

Making the pie crust

Pie crusts are easy to make once you get the hang of it. However, baking requires equal amounts of patience and passion for ensuring that everything goes right.

So here’s a recipe that can guide you through the perfect step-wise procedure of baking a pie crust, along with the precise measurements for each ingredient so that you can recreate the exact same dessert every time. The recipe will help you make the flakiest, softest, most buttery apple pie. For starters, a great pie crust needs good quality butter. The fat coats the flour’s protein molecules, preventing any toughness in the base. When kneading the dough or combining it with water, the protein forms excessive gluten strands, increasing toughness and leaving you with a hard crust. You can use butter and sour cream to keep the moisture away from the protein molecules, resulting in a soft and tender pie crust.

Preparing the dough
Ingredients :

1 cup of chilled butter

½ cup of sour cream

1 cup of all-purpose flour

¾ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon of salt

Directions :

Take chilled butter out of the refrigerator and cut it into small cubes.

In a bowl, gradually squish the butter cubes into the all-purpose flour.

Add salt and sugar (as per your preference) and gently press down the dough along with the butter.

Pour sour cream into the dough; knead the dough until it has a smooth texture and there are no visible cracks.

Cover the dough before placing it in the refrigerator overnight

You should refrigerate this dough for 1–2 days before using it. This recipe can be used when baking a chocolate pie, a pumpkin pie, or even a blueberry pie.

Making the filling

Ingredients :

6 thinly sliced apples (peeled)

1 tablespoon of lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar)

2 tablespoons of flour

¾ cup of sugar

¾ teaspoon of ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg

Directions:
Gently mix all the filling ingredients into a bowl. Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar helps prevent the browning of apple slices.

Set the mixture aside as you prepare the oven and baking tray.

Preparing the pie

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit outside for 15 minutes.

Flatten the dough and cut two circles, each about 13 inches in diameter (should be bigger than the baking pan).

Line the baking tray with greased butter paper.

Place one of the circles of flattened dough inside and make sure it covers all corners/edges.

Trim the edges of the crust that are outside the tray.

Take the apple filling and place it in the middle before spreading it evenly over the dough base.

Take the other flattened dough circle and place it on top of the filling, covering the entire surface.

Tuck the edges of both crust doughs together using a fork or fingers.

Press gently, sealing all the edges. Cut slits in several places across the pie crust using a fork before setting the pie aside.

Baking the pie

The total baking time for an apple pie is about 40-45 minutes.

Directions:
Place the baking pan in the oven.

Set the temperature to 425 °F and the timer for 20 minutes.

Keep an eye on the pie to see if the crust has developed a light brown color.

After 20 minutes, remove the pie and cover the crust edge with a foil.

Set the timer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Let it bake until the juices of the fruit filling begin to bubbe.

Check for a slight bulge in the middle of the pie crust.

Take the pie out from the oven and let it cool for 1 to 2 hours.

Cover the baking tray with aluminum foil before you place it in the oven to bake a pie without excessive browning.

Serving instructions

Cut out a nice slice of pie from the corner.

Place it on a dish.

Scoop out some ice cream or whipped cream to add texture.

Top the pie with chocolate shavings, cinnamon powder, cherries, or blueberries.

Baking a pie crust is usually the most challenging part of the recipe. However, you can avoid issues with the base by using cold or chilled butter while kneading the dough. Further, you should be patient and precise while baking a pie, as this is essential to get a smooth, fluffy, and textured pastry at home. You can use this recipe outline for the holidays when baking a pumpkin pie or pecan pie.