Classic Apple Pie — Quintessential dessert with flaky double crust

The quintessential American dessert. A buttery, flaky double crust encases sliced apples tossed with cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar, baked until golden brown and bubbling. Nothing says home quite like a warm apple pie cooling on the kitchen counter.

Instructions

1. Whisk flour and salt. Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse meal with pea-sized lumps. Add ice water gradually until dough just comes together. Divide in half, flatten into discs, chill 30 minutes.
2. Toss sliced apples with sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice.
3. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Roll one disc into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate.
4. Pour apple filling into crust. Dot with butter pieces.
5. Roll second disc for the top crust. Place over filling. Trim, fold, crimp edges. Cut several steam vents.
6. Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar.
7. Bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes. Reduce to 375°F, bake 30-40 minutes more until golden and bubbly. Tent edges with foil if browning too fast.
8. Cool completely on a wire rack (2-3 hours) before slicing.

Tips

• Keep everything cold — butter, water, even the flour — for the flakiest crust
• Mix tart (Granny Smith) and sweet (Honeycrisp) apples for balanced flavor
• Full cooling is essential; cutting too early gives you apple soup, not pie