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1
Remove dough for bottom crust from fridge and let sit at room temperature for 8-10 minutes before rolling.
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2
Roll bottom dough about 12 inches in diameter. If using store bought crust follow the direction on box. When finished, place dough back in fridge. It needs to chill for about 20 minutes.
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3
Place oven rack in center position and preheat to 425 degrees F.
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4
Peel, core, and slice apples thinly, placing them in large bowl as you go. After slicing a few apples, squeeze a little lemon juice over them and toss to coat to prevent browning. Continue until all sliced apples are in the bowl.
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5
Remove dough for top crust from fridge and let sit for about 10 minutes.
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6
In another bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Pour about half of the mixture over the apples and lightly toss. Then add the rest of the mixture and using both hands, gently toss to thoroughly coat. Make sure all apples have been covered before setting aside and don't worry about the excess juice, it will thicken when baked. Wash hands before next step.
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7
Gently roll out top dough on a floured surface to 12 inches in diameter. Then, place onto a large cookie sheet or round pizza pan lined with wax paper and pop it into the freezer for about 8-10 minutes. Skipping this step will cause the top crust to cook too fast and tear when placing over apples. Do not place apples into bottom crust until the top crust is ready.
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8
Carefully pour bowl of apples into bottom pie crust. Using your hands, arrange some apples to create a small mound in the center.
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9
Take the 1/2 stick of unsalted butter from the fridge and slice thinly. Take each piece and evenly distribute over apples. Skipping this step will prevent the excess juice from thickening and could cause the apple pie to fall apart when cut. The butter must be cold and cannot be room temperature or melted down before adding to apples.
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10
Carefully cover apples with top crust. Trim dough if necessary, leaving about 1 inch of overhang. Tuck edges of top crust under the edges of bottom crust and pinch gently with fingertips. Crimp crust edges if desired, Or use a fork and gently press edges down.
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11
Brush the top crust lightly with cream or milk. Make 5 slits near the center of the top crust to allow steam to escape.
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12
Place pie on a baking sheet lined with foil and place into preheated oven. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until crust is golden brown and the filling begins to bubble through the slits. During last 20-25 minutes of baking, cover the edges of the crust with a pie protector or some foil to prevent over browning. You can also place foil over the top crust if it appears to be browning too quickly or too much.
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13
Remove pie from oven and sprinkle with powered sugar. Place pie on a cooling rack for at least 2-3 hours before cutting. The pie will be ready to cut when the bottom is cool to the touch.
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14
Cut & enjoy! Best served with vanilla ice cream.
