5poundsGranny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1cupgranulated sugar
1/4cupbrown sugar, packed
1/2teaspoonlemon zest
1/4teaspoonsalt
1teaspoonground cinnamon
2tablespoonscorn starch
1recipe flakiest all-butter pie crust (recipe link in notes below)
1eggbeaten
Instructions
In a large pot, combine the apples, sugars, zest, salt, and cinnamon. Set the pot over medium-low heat and heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, just until the apples are tender.
Off the heat and scoop the apples into a sieve set over a bowl. Continue scooping until 2 tablespoons of juices are collected in the bowl. Return the apples to the pot.
Use a fork to mix the collected juices with the corn starch until no lumps remain.
Resume the heat to medium-low and add the corn starch slurry to the pot. Continue to stir until thickened, as indicated by a thick and shiny glaze on the apple slices.
Transfer the apples to a large baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Allow to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
While the apples are cooling, place a large baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 500°F.
Roll half of the flakiest all-butter pie crust dough into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch glass* pie dish, allowing the excess dough to hang over the sides.
Fill the crust with the cooled apple filling**, mounding the filling in the center. Roll the second half of the pie crust dough into a 12-inch circle. To make a lattice crust, cut the dough into 1-inch strips using a sharp knife or pastry wheel. Use the strips to assemble a lattice top (or follow the step-by-step photos from How to Make a Lattice Top).
Trim off the excess dough along the rim of the pie dish and seal the edges by pressing together the top and bottom crusts. Brush the pie top with the egg.
Place the pie on the hot baking sheet and reduce the heat to 400°F. Bake for 75 - 85 minutes, until apple filling is bubbling and the bottom crust is golden brown. Begin checking the lattice top at 60 minutes, about every 5 minutes, for overbrowning. If the top is darkening too quickly, loosely cover with foil***.
Transfer the pie dish to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely or until slightly warm (your preference).
Notes
*If using a metal pie plate, modify the prior step to the following: Preheat the oven to 400°F and omit placing a baking sheet in the oven. Reduce the baking time to 75 minutes.**If the filling needs more time to cool, store the lined pie dish in the refrigerator to keep the butter from warming.***Pro-tip: Invert a large bowl and cut two pieces of foil, long enough to cover half of the bowl. Place the two pieces of foil perpendicular to one another on top of the inverted bowl and scrunch the foil together to create a foil dome. Remove the foil dome from the bowl and use to tent the pie dish.To batch make ahead: Once pie is assembled, skip the egg wash and freeze the pie until hardened. Vacuum seal the pie and store in the freezer until ready to use. When ready, remove the pie from the storage bag and bake according to the instructions above. Add 10-15 minutes to the bake time as necessary.Flakiest all-butter pie crust recipe