The Straightforward Giant-Format Apple Pie I Make Each Vacation Season (No Soggy Bottoms!)

Invite me to a potluck, and 9 occasions out of 10, I’ll present up with a dessert. In the summertime, when it’s sizzling and ripe berries and stone fruit are plentiful, that dessert is normally a no-bake affair like Eton mess or trifle. However come wintertime, when it’s chilly sufficient to activate the oven, I begin churning out cozy, warming desserts like pies, galettes, and crisps. And after I know there are going to be loads of individuals to feed, I attain for my belief baking sheet to make an apple slab pie, a big format dessert that by no means fails to please everybody in attendance.

The slab pie recipe beneath comes from our Birmingham, Alabama-based take a look at kitchen colleague Nicole Hopper, who baked trays and trays of apple pie to nail down the easiest model. The pie has a flippantly sweetened and subtly spiced filling of tender apples that maintain their form, supported by  a crisp, flaky crust. Don’t be shocked if you happen to discover everybody on the social gathering flocking to your nook of the buffet desk, as a result of this pie is bound to be the star of the present.

5 Key Strategies for Making an Wonderful Apple Slab Pie

1. Maintain the dough chilly. For the flakiest crust, we advocate maintaining the dough chilly at each single step, which helps the butter keep agency. Begin with chilly components, chill the dough till agency, and pop it again within the fridge any time you’re not actively working with it. Because the crust bakes, the butter melts, creating little pockets of steam within the dough that set into crispy, flaky layers.
2. Use the correct apples. Although some sorts of apple could also be scrumptious eaten uncooked, they might be too mealy, moist, or candy when cooked, making them an unsuitable selection for pie. The ideally suited apple for pie is one which’s simply candy and tart sufficient, and softens however nonetheless holds its form when cooked. We advocate utilizing Braeburn and Golden Scrumptious apples, which have a balanced taste and maintain their form properly when cooked, although you can too use Granny Smith apples for a filling that’s barely extra tart.
3. A lattice is sweet however not needed. Assembling a lattice makes for a formidable presentation, however if you happen to’re quick on time or just choose a totally coated pie, simply roll the dough out to an 18- by 12-inch rectangle about 1/8-inch thick, then place it over the filling. Trim the overhang, crimp as desired, and use a pointy paring knife to chop a number of slits into the highest of the dough to permit steam to flee—and that’s all there may be to it!
4. Bake the pie on a baking or pizza stone. The key to not having a soggy backside? Preheating the oven with a baking stone set on the oven rack, then baking the pie on prime of the heated stone. Most baking stones are made with ceramic or cordierite, which is superb at retaining warmth and ensures that the underside cooks evenly. (In the event you don’t personal a baking stone, you may merely bake pie on the bottom rack in your oven as an alternative—the crust is likely to be barely much less crispy, however it would nonetheless be scrumptious.)
5. Verify for shade to know when the pie is prepared. Some apple pie recipes could instruct you to make use of an instant-read thermometer to make sure that the filling hits 195ºF (90.5ºC). In contrast to an apple pie baked in a pie dish, nonetheless, a slab pie is rather more shallow, and the filling will attain 195ºF earlier than the crust is totally baked. One of the simplest ways to verify for doneness right here is to have a look at the colour of the crust: If it’s good and golden brown, you’re good to go.