Classic Homemade Apple Pie with an All-Butter Lattice

Classic Homemade Apple Pie

This 9-inch apple pie has an all-butter crust, a wide woven lattice, and firm apple slices visible between the strips. A mix of tart and sweeter apples gives the raw filling a balanced flavor while keeping the slices recognizable after baking.

The crust may turn golden before the filling is done. Look for juices bubbling through several lattice openings and apples that pierce easily, then let the pie cool for at least 3 hours so the filling can set.

Ingredients for Classic Homemade Apple Pie

All-butter crust

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (300g)
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (12g)
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed (225g)
• 6 to 8 tablespoons ice water, as needed

Apple filling

• About 3 pounds firm baking apples, such as half Granny Smith and half Honeycrisp, yielding roughly 7 cups peeled, cored, 1/4-inch slices
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (50g)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (30g)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

For the crust finish

• 1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon coarse sugar, optional

Yield: One 9-inch pie, or 8 slices. Allow about 50 minutes of active preparation, at least 1 hour to chill the dough, 20 minutes to chill the assembled pie, approximately 55 to 70 minutes to bake, and at least 3 hours to cool. Total elapsed time is about 6 to 6 1/2 hours.

How to Make Classic Homemade Apple Pie

1. Make and chill the dough: Mix the crust flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips, leaving some visible butter pieces. Add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing just until the dough holds together when pressed. Divide into two disks, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until firm.
2. Line the dish: Roll one disk large enough to line a 9-inch white fluted ceramic pie dish with some overhang. Set the pastry in the dish without stretching it. Refrigerate the shell while you prepare the filling.
3. Fill the pie: Peel, core, and slice the apples uniformly about 1/4 inch thick. Toss with both filling sugars, the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and lemon juice until evenly coated, with no pockets of dry flour. Promptly mound the apples in the chilled shell, keeping the pastry rim clear for sealing.
4. Weave the lattice: Roll the second dough disk and cut it into strips about 3/4 to 1 inch wide. Lay several strips across the filling, leaving spaces between them. Fold back alternating strips, lay a strip across in the other direction, and unfold them. Repeat, alternating which strips you fold back, to make an over-and-under weave. If the pastry becomes sticky, refrigerate the strips briefly before continuing. Trim and seal the lattice ends to the bottom crust, then fold and crimp the edge into a substantial, rustic rim.
5. Chill and finish: Refrigerate the assembled pie for about 20 minutes while the oven fully preheats to 425°F (220°C), with a rack in the lower third. Brush the exposed pastry with egg wash without letting it pool on the filling. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if using.
6. Bake: Set the chilled ceramic dish on an unheated rimmed baking sheet to catch drips; do not place it on a preheated sheet. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven to 375°F (190°C). Check the crust color as you lower the heat. Bake for approximately 35 to 50 minutes more, beginning to check the filling around 55 minutes total. The pie is done when the lattice and rim are deeply golden, thickened juices bubble through several openings, and a thin knife inserted through an opening pierces an apple slice with little resistance. If the pastry darkens before the filling is ready, shield the rim or loosely tent the dark areas with foil and keep baking.
7. Cool: Set the pie dish on a rack and cool for at least 3 hours before cutting into 8 slices. The juices will thicken further as the pie cools.

Choosing and Slicing Apples

Granny Smith apples bring tartness; Honeycrisp or another firm, crisp apple adds sweetness. Avoid mealy apples, which are less likely to hold recognizable slices. Aim for roughly 7 cups after peeling and coring. Keeping the slices close to 1/4 inch thick helps the raw apples cook evenly before the crust gets too dark.

How to Tell When Apple Pie Is Done

Golden pastry alone does not mean the apples have softened. Look for bubbling juices in several lattice openings and test an apple slice with a thin knife. If it still feels firm, continue baking and protect any pastry that is getting too dark with foil. Filling that runs freely when sliced may not have bubbled enough in the oven or may need more time to cool.

Pastry and Thickener Substitutions

Refrigerated double-crust pastry can replace the homemade dough. Keep it chilled and cut the top portion into the same broad woven strips. For the filling, approximately 2 tablespoons cornstarch can replace the 1/4 cup flour; the wheat-flour crust still remains part of the pie.

Make-Ahead and Storage

The dough can be made ahead and kept chilled until you are ready to roll it. Cool the baked pie completely before covering. Keep it covered at room temperature for up to 1 to 2 days, or refrigerate for about 4 days.

Serve slices plain or with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Refrigerated slices can be gently warmed, though a microwave will soften the pastry.

For longer keeping, wrap a fully cooled baked pie tightly and freeze for roughly 3 months. Thaw before gently reheating in the oven, protecting the crust if it begins to brown too much.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition per slice, based on 8 slices: 500 calories, 6g protein, 24g fat, and 67g carbohydrates. Approximate nutrition per 100g of baked pie: 265 calories, 3g protein, 13g fat, and 36g carbohydrates. Values exclude optional coarse sugar and will vary with apple yield, egg wash used, and moisture lost during baking.