Get the full recipe from Gillian’s Cooking Column below. Staff photo: Gillian Bressie

By Gillian Bressie 

Dough:

Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch cubes
3 tablespoons very cold water

Directions:
To make the dough by hand, in a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the butter into cubes and stir into the flour mixture until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal, with butter pieces no larger than small peas. Add the water and mix with a fork just until the dough combines.

To make the dough in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together the flour, sugar, and salt in the mixer bowl. Add the butter cubes and toss with a fork to coat with the flour mixture. Mix on medium-low speed until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal, with butter pieces no larger than small peas. Add the water and mix on low speed just until the dough combines.

Transfer the dough to a work surface, pat into a ball, and flatten into a disk. (Although many dough recipes call for chilling the dough at this point, this dough should be rolled out immediately for the best results.) Lightly flour the work surface, then flatten the disk with 6-8 gentle taps of the rolling pin. Lift the dough and give it a quarter turn. Lightly dust the top of the dough or the rolling pin with flour as needed, then roll out as described on page 106 into a round at least 12 inches in diameter and about ⅛ inch thick. Makes enough dough for one 9-inch single-crust pie or one 10-inch galette.

Filling:

Ingredients:
2 rolled-out Basic Pie Dough rounds
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
7 large, tart, firm apples, peeled, halved lengthwise, cored, and sliced ½ inch thick (about 6 cups)
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Vanilla ice cream for serving (optional)

Directions:
Fold 1 dough round in half and carefully transfer to a 9-inch pie pan or dish. Unfold and ease the round into the pan, without stretching it, and pat it firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Using kitchen scissors, trim the edge of the dough, leaving ¾ inch of overhang. Set the dough-lined pan aside, along with the second dough round, in a cool place until ready to use.

In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, cinnamon, salt, and flour. Place the sliced apples in a large bowl, sprinkle with the sugar mixture, and toss to distribute evenly. Pile the apples into the dough-lined pan. Dot them with the butter.

For the reserved dough round in half and carefully position over half of the filled pile. Unfold and trim the edge neatly, leaving 1 inch of overhang, then fold the edge of the top round under the edge of the bottom round and crimp the edges to seal. Using a small, sharp knife, cut 5 or 6 slits in the top to allow steam to escape during baking.

Refrigerate the pie until the dough is firm, 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350ºF.

Bake the pie until the crust is golden and the apples are tender when pierced through a vent with a skewer or long, thin knife, 60-70 minutes. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool until just slightly warm, about 45 minutes, before serving. If desired, accompany each serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.