Apple Slab Pie
This crowd-pleaser apple slab has a tender all-butter crust lining a 10x14x1-inch baking sheet and is filled with a sweet-tangy mix of sliced apples, sugar and spices. The apples are covered with another crust, sprinkled with coarse sugar and baked to perfection.
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Servings: 15 Servings
Calories: 317kcal
Ingredients
For the Pastry Crust:
- 5 cups 600 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 2 cups 4 sticks cold butter, cut into bits
- 1 cup ice water
For the Filling:
- 10 large apples of mixed variety peeled, cored and sliced
- 1 lemon divided
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons cold butter cut into bits
Optional:
- Egg white wash
- Coarse sugar
Instructions
For the Pastry Crust:
- Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter bits and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
- With the processor running, drizzle in the ice water, then begin pulsing until the dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed.
- Tip the mixture out onto a floured work surface and divide it into two portions. Shape each portion in a flat disk, wrap with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or the freezer for 20 minutes.
For the Filling:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F
- In a large bowl add the sliced apples, squeeze the juice of 1/2 of the lemon and toss with the apples.
- In a small bowl add the granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Whisk the mixture together until well combined.
- Toss the sugar mixture with the apples and set aside.
Roll and Fill the Pastry:
- On a lightly floured work surface, unwrap and roll out 1 pastry disk to a 12x16-inch rectangle. Transfer the dough to a 10x14-inch sheet pan, pressing to fit into the pan.
- Tip half of the apple mixture into the pastry spreading evenly and distribute the butter bits evenly on top. Add the remaining apple mixture and squeeze the juice of the remaining lemon over the apples.
- Roll out the remaining pastry disk to an 11x15-inch rectangle and transfer to the top of the apple mixture. Trim the edges of the dough, leaving a 1-1/2-inch overhang around the pie. Fold the overhanging dough under and crimp the edges.
- In a small dish whisk together one egg white with a tablespoon of water and brush on top of the pastry crust. Cut a few slit vents on the top of the crust.
- Place the pie in the oven bake until the crust is a deep golden brown and the juices are bubbling in the vents, about 55-65 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
- If you are using a food processor that holds less than a 14-cup bowl you will need to divide the pastry ingredients and make two separate recipes of the pastry crust, shaping and wrapping each one as it is mixed. The best flavored apple pie will come from combining several varieties of firm apples. We used a combination of 10 large apples: Granny Smith, Gayla, and Cosmic Crisp apples.
- The apples can be peeled, pared and sliced while the pastry is resting.
- Lemon juice or a tablespoon of Fruit Fresh in a water bath with the apples will keep them from discoloring. Remove the apples from the water bath, drain on a kitchen towel before tossing with the sugar and spices.
- A mandoline set on a 1/4-inch thickness will slice the apples to a uniform size and the pie filling will bake evenly.
- Set your timer for 45 minutes, check pie and if it is becoming darker than expected, drape with a sheet of foil.
- When the pie is done, there will be juices bubbling up through the vents, about 55-60 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 251mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 26g