Ingredients
5 to 6 firm, tart apples
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. table salt
1 to 2 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut up
Preparation
To make the filling and bake: Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Cut them into 1/4-inch slices to get 7 cups. Put the apples in a bowl and sprinkle with the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Toss gently and layer the apples into the pie shell, tucking in any apples to create an even, smooth dome. Dot the apples with large flecks of the butter.
Starting at the rim of the pan, stick the dough leaves on the crust and apples, using a little water on the bottom of the leaves to help them adhere. You needn’t press the leaves together; they’ll seal during baking. Continue to overlap the leaves in concentric circles as shown in the photo below.
Casually overlap the leaves in concentric circles toward the middle of the pie, minimizing the overlapping areas. Chill the pie in the refrigerator for 15 min. Meanwhile, position two racks to the lower third of the oven, set a foil-lined baking sheet on the lowest rack (to catch any drippings from the pie), and heat the oven to 350°F.
Bake the pie on the second-lowest rack until the crust is deep golden all over and the apples are tender when pierced with a long, thin knife blade, 60 to 80 min. Let the pie cool completely before serving so that the juices have a chance to set up and the filling won’t be runny. Serve at room temperature or refresh briefly in a 400°F oven to warm the crust.
