Classic Sour Apple Pie
Tart apples, a whisper of nutmeg and lemon, and a buttery double crust — Fannie Farmer's 1896 formula still holds up perfectly.
Ingredients
- 2store-bought or homemade pie dough rounds(enough for a 9-inch double-crust pie)
- 5 mediumGranny Smith apples(about 1.75 lb / 800 g total)
- ⅓ cupgranulated sugar
- ¼ tspfreshly grated nutmeg
- ⅛ tspfine salt
- 1 tspfresh lemon juice
- ½ tsplemon zest(finely grated, from about half a lemon)
- 1 tbspunsalted butter(cut into small pieces)
- 1 tbspwhole milk or heavy cream(for brushing the top crust)
Method
- 01
Preheat the oven to 375 °F (190 °C) with a rack in the lower third. Place a foil-lined baking sheet on the rack below to catch any drips.
- 02
Fit one pie dough round into a 9-inch pie plate, pressing it gently into the corners without stretching. Let the excess hang over the edge. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
- 03
Peel, core, and cut the 5 medium Granny Smith apples into eighths (about 1-inch wedges). Uniform thickness ensures even cooking.
- 04
In a small bowl, whisk together the ⅓ cup granulated sugar, ¼ tsp nutmeg, and ⅛ tsp salt.
- 05
Add the 1 tsp lemon juice and ½ tsp lemon zest to the sugar mixture and stir to combine.
- 06
Arrange a single layer of apple wedges in the chilled crust, starting 0.5 inch from the edge and spiraling inward. Pile the remaining apple wedges on top, mounding them slightly in the center to account for shrinkage.
- 07
Sprinkle the sugar-spice mixture evenly over the apples, then dot the surface with the 1 tbsp butter pieces.
- 08
Brush the rim of the bottom crust lightly with water. Lay the second dough round over the filling, press the edges together firmly, and trim any overhang to about 0.75 inch.
- 09
Fold the edge under itself and crimp decoratively. Cut 4–5 small steam vents in the top crust with a paring knife.
- 10
Brush the top crust with the 1 tbsp milk or cream for a golden finish.
- 11
Bake on the lower rack for 40–45 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling juices are bubbling through the vents. If the edges brown too fast, shield them with a strip of foil after 25 minutes.
- 12
Transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least 2 hours before slicing — the filling sets as it cools.
Adapted from public domain & community sources