Crusty Apple Pie : ABC October 2013

Avid Baker's Challenge (ABC)'s bake for this month is Crusty Apple Pie, recipe from King Arthur Flour (KAF), which we are baking the recipes from until end of the year. Most of KAF's recipes are fabulous, and this is another winner!

The dough is made up of flour, cream cheese, butter and cold water. There's an option to use 2 tablespoons of buttermilk powder, since we cannot get it here, I have omitted it. I mixed the flour and cold cream cheese in the food processor, about 3 pulses, and add in the cubed cold butter, pulse until crumbly with some visible pieces. Remove the mixture to a mixing bowl, add in ice cold water one tablespoon at a time, I used in total 3-1/2 tablespoons, until the dough can hold together. Divide into two pieces of 9 oz and 10 oz each, flatten to a disk, wrap well with cling wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Peel and core apples, halved and slice about 1/4-inch thick, put in a bowl, and squeeze some lemon juice over, mixing to combine gently. Prepare the cinnamon filling by mixing some sugar and cinnamon powder in a small bowl, which I have reduced the sugar from 1/2 cup to 1/4 cup, since the apples that I've used, Fuji apples are quite sweet.

Remove the bigger piece of dough from the fridge, roll it out to a 13" round (I use a 11" pizza pan, so I rolled it out to 12" round). Place the dough onto the prepared pan, you may view the step-by-step photos from KAF fantastic and helpful blog here, Bakers Banter. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture all over the crust. Arrange the apples slices over the cinnamon-sugar layer. Dot the apples slices with some bits of butter.

Remove the other piece of dough from the fridge, roll it out to a 12" round. (mine was 11"). You may cut some some patterns or simply make some slits in the dough later. Place rolled out crust over the apple filling, bring the edge of the bottom crust over the top crust and press to seal. I have used a fork to tine the edges further. Make some slits on the crust if there are no cut-outs. Brush the crust with some milk, sprinkle with some coarse sugar, here I have used demerara sugar (which is not sweet), and bake at 425F for 15 minutes, reducing the temperature to 375F and bake for a further 25 to 35 minutes until golden brown and filling is bubbling through the slits in the top crust. 

Smells wonderfully good when this is baking! Advisable to wait for about an hour before slicing.

I made this in the afternoon during the weekend, and by the time it was ready, it was just the right time for "family tea-time treat"!

The family could not wait! I sliced it about 40 minutes after baking, the crust is so crispy and flaky. So delicious when eaten while still warm! The apple filling is not overly sweet, as I have reduced the sugar from 1/2 cup to 1/4 cup, and it was just right. The demerara sugar may look a lot, but this sugar is not sweet at all, and provides a nice light crunch to the crispy and flaky crust.

Five minutes later, everyone had a second piece! 

I really love the crust, it was flaky, crispy, buttery and so yummy! And the apples are tender and soft, tastes so good with the cinnamon-sugar.

For the full recipe, please refer to King Arthur Flour's website, here.

The changes I've made for my own record :
~ reduce the sugar for the cinnamon filling, from 1/2 cup to 1/4 cup. (Fuji apples are sweet)
~ used a 11" pizza pan.

     

To view the other members bake, please stop by Avid Baker's Challenge (ABC). We are currently baking from King Arthur Flour website, if you are interested to join in, please contact Hanaa.