15 g (or until all fluid is bound) guar gum or other binder
Crust
280 g all-purpose flour
15 g granulated sugar
2 g salt
250 g cold, unsalted butter
120 g very cold water
(optional) 1 egg
Preparation
Filling
Combine sugars, salt, and spices in your absolutely largest
bowl. Peel, halve, and core your apples and cut them into thin
(scant 1/4-inch) slices, adding them right to the big bowl. Toss to
coat the slices as much as possible. Set aside for 1 to 4 hours at
room temperature.
Crust
Place your flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to
combine. Cut your butter into small cubes (1/2-inch is ideal here)
and add them into the flour mixture. Toss them around so that
they’re coated and used your fingers to squash each butter cube into
flatter, lima-bean like pieces. It’s totally fine if this is bigger
than you’re used to.
Pour water over butter-flour mixture and use a flexible silicone
spatula or scraper to bring it together into a dough that will seem
too wet and sticky, but will be just fine. Divide dough into two
parts, and wrap each half into flat-ish packets wrapped in plastic,
waxed or parchment paper.
chill in the fridge until firm — one to two hours.
Unwrap first packet of dough, place on a well-floured counter,
sprinkle the top generously with flour, and roll it out into a
thick-ish long rectangle. Brush off excess flour off dough with your
hands and fold it as you would a business letter, into thirds.
Continue to roll this packet into the shape needed for your final
pie.
Assembly
Stir binder into apple pie filling. Pour filling into prepared
bottom crust and use your hands to pack and heap those softened
apples as mounded as you can get them, then add a few more. Pour any
juices that have accumulated carefully over apples; do not leave any
behind. Either place your second pie dough round over the filling or
cut it into strips to lattice the top.
Trim the top crust or lattice strips to the edge of the pie
dish.
Fold the overhang from the lower crust over to form a thick rim,
and crimp it together with your fingers or a fork to seal it.
(optional) Brush top crust with egg.
If your top crust is in one piece, cut a few vents in it with a
sharp knife.
Baking
Preheat oven to 200°C
Reuse that sheet of parchment paper on the large baking sheet
for easier cleanup, then transfer your prepared pie onto it. Bake
for 75 minutes. If your pie is browning too fast, take a large
square of foil, mold it over the back of a large bowl into a convex
dome, then use that to cover the pie in the oven for the remaining
baking time so it doesn’t brown much further. Pie is done when the
internal temperature reads 90°C. A tester inserted into the pie
shouldn’t hit any overtly crunchy apple pieces.
Serving
Cool pie for at least one hour at room temperature before cutting
into it. However, your filling will not fully thicken until it has
fully cooled, ideally in the fridge for a couple hours. You can
rewarm slices as you serve them, if desired. Leftovers keep at room
temperature for 2 to 3 days, and in the fridge for 1 week.