Why It Works
- Conserving the pie dough chilly helps the butter keep agency, leading to flaky layers because the crust bakes.
- Baking the pie on a baking stone ensures the underside is evenly heated and prevents a soggy backside.
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 often 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 perfect model. The pie has a frivolously sweetened and subtly spiced filling of tender apples that maintain their form, supported by a crisp, flaky crust. Don’t be shocked should you discover everybody on the occasion flocking to your nook of the buffet desk, as a result of this pie is certain to be the star of the present.
Critical Eats / Fred Hardy
5 Key Strategies for Making an Wonderful Apple Slab Pie
- Preserve the dough chilly. For the flakiest crust, we suggest preserving the dough chilly at each single step, which helps the butter keep agency. Begin with chilly substances, 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.
- Use the suitable apples. Although some kinds 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 ideal apple for pie is one which’s simply candy and tart sufficient, and softens however nonetheless holds its form when cooked. We suggest utilizing Braeburn and Golden Scrumptious apples, which have a balanced taste and maintain their form properly when cooked, although you can even use Granny Smith apples for a filling that’s barely extra tart.
- A lattice is sweet however not needed. Assembling a lattice makes for a powerful presentation, however should you’re brief on time or just desire a completely lined 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!
- 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 high of the heated stone. Most baking stones are made with ceramic or cordierite, which is great at retaining warmth and ensures that the underside cooks evenly. (In case you don’t personal a baking stone, you may merely bake pie on the bottom rack in your oven as a substitute—the crust is likely to be barely much less crispy, however it’ll nonetheless be scrumptious.)
- Test for shade to know when the pie is prepared. Some apple pie recipes might 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 way more shallow, and the filling will attain 195ºF earlier than the crust is totally baked. One of the simplest ways to test for doneness right here is to take a look at the colour of the crust: If it’s good and golden brown, you’re good to go.
Critical Eats / Fred Hardy
Editor’s Observe
The recipe was developed by Nicole Hopper; the headnote was written by Genevieve Yam.
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