Rustic Apple Pie
I ended up making this pie one afternoon when I had more apples than I could eat right away and no desire for complicated recipes. The recipe is not sophisticated, but the result is a simple dessert with tender layers and a generous filling of apples. I've tried it several times and it hasn't needed many adjustments. It can be made quickly, without any hassle, and it doesn't last long in the house.
Quick Info
Total time: about 1 hour and 40 minutes
Preparation time: 35-40 minutes
Baking time: 40-50 minutes
Servings: 10-12, depending on how you cut the pie
Difficulty: easy to medium
Recipe type: homemade dessert, suitable for weekends or when you have a lot of apples
Ingredients
Dough:
500 g all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dry yeast
200 g butter or lard (room temperature)
a pinch of salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
Filling:
1.5 kg apples (weighed whole)
100 g sugar
1 packet vanilla sugar
1 teaspoon rum essence
half a teaspoon cinnamon
For finishing:
powdered sugar, for sprinkling on top
Preparation Method
1. Preparing the dough
Sift the flour into a large bowl. Add the dry yeast, sugar, and salt over the flour. Mix a little, then add the butter or lard cut into pieces and the eggs. Knead by hand until you obtain a smooth, elastic, and fairly soft dough, similar to playdough. If it's too sticky, add another tablespoon or two of flour. If it seems too hard, pour in a few tablespoons of cold milk and continue kneading. It takes me about 5 minutes to knead. Form the dough into a ball and place it in the fridge while you prepare the apples.
2. Apple filling
Wash the apples well, peel them, and grate them using a large grater. Place the grated apples in a double-bottomed pot (to prevent sticking), add the sugar, and mix. Cook over medium heat for 7-8 minutes until softened and they release juice. Once they've reduced a bit, remove the pot from heat and drain the excess juice. They shouldn't be dry, but they also shouldn't be floating in juice; I usually remove about 100 ml of juice as a guideline. Add the vanilla sugar, rum essence, and cinnamon. Mix and let cool.
3. Assembly
Preheat the oven to 180°C (medium heat). Divide the dough into two equal pieces. On a floured surface, roll out the first piece into a rectangle slightly larger than the baking tray (22x28 cm). Lift the dough onto the rolling pin and carefully transfer it to the tray. The dough should come up slightly on the sides of the tray to prevent the filling from leaking. Prick it here and there with a fork. Add the apple filling, spreading it evenly without pressing too hard.
Roll out the second piece of dough to the size of the tray and place it over the apples. Prick this layer with a fork as well, to prevent it from puffing up while baking. There's no need to seal the edges perfectly.
4. Baking
Place the tray in the preheated oven. Bake at medium heat for about 40-50 minutes, or until the top layer turns golden brown with slightly browned edges. It shouldn't become too dark.
5. Finishing and serving
Remove the tray and let it cool. While it's still warm, sprinkle powdered sugar on top. When cut warm, the pie is less tender, but it's not a tragedy if you can't wait. It cuts more nicely after it has completely cooled.
Why I make this recipe often
The crust stays tender even the next day. The pie can be kept for a few days at room temperature without hardening. It's not picky about ingredients, and the apple filling won't leak if you drain the juice in time. It cuts easily and fits any meal, whether as a dessert or alongside coffee. Rarely does it last more than two days.
Tips and Variations
Tips
If the apples are very juicy, drain the juice before placing them on the dough; otherwise, the base will be too soft.
When kneading, don't add all the flour at once if you're unsure about the dough's consistency. Sometimes the eggs can be larger or the flour more humid.
Use lard for an even flakier dough, if you have it on hand.
If you don't have dry yeast, you can try using fresh yeast (about 10-12 g), but it doesn't need to be dissolved separately.
Substitutions
Lard can be replaced with butter without any issues; the texture will be slightly different but still flaky.
You can omit the vanilla sugar or replace it with vanilla extract.
Without rum essence, the pie will have a milder flavor. The rum essence is not essential if you don't like it.
You can use brown sugar for the apples for a more caramelized flavor.
Variations
You can add chopped nuts to the filling, about a handful, if you want something extra.
If you don't have cinnamon, it's fine to leave it out, or you can add a pinch of ground cloves for a different flavor.
It can also be made with pears, but they also need to be drained well.
Serving Ideas
The simplest way is to sprinkle powdered sugar on top. For a more festive version, it pairs well with whipped cream or a spoonful of cold sour cream. It also goes well with a vanilla sauce if you feel like making one, but it's not strictly necessary.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I use apples with the skin on?
Yes, if the apples have thin skin and you don't mind the texture. I prefer to peel them, especially if they are not from my own garden.
2. Does the dough need to rise or be left to proof?
No, it doesn't need rising time like a sweet bread. The yeast helps with tenderness, not volume. It just needs to be kept cool while you make the filling.
3. Can the pie be frozen?
The dough can be frozen before baking if you want to prepare it in advance. The baked pie doesn't come out the same after freezing because the crust dries out.
4. Can it be made with other fruits?
It also works with pears or quinces, but they need to be sautéed and drained to avoid making the pie too wet.
5. Why do I need to prick the dough with a fork?
It helps with even baking and prevents the dough layer from puffing up. If you forget, the top layer will form large bubbles.
Nutritional Values
Approximately, one serving (out of 12) has about 210-220 kcal. From the total composition: approximately 36-37 g carbohydrates, 7-8 g fats, 3-4 g proteins. Most of the calories come from butter/lard and sugar. The pie is not very high in fat if you use butter, but it's not a diet dessert either. Values may vary depending on the type of apples used and the portion size.
Storage and Reheating
The pie keeps well at room temperature, covered with a clean towel or in a box. It lasts 2-3 days without problems and remains tender. It doesn't need to be reheated, and it's actually better cold after resting. If you want to serve it warm, you can place it in the oven for 5 minutes at 120°C, but I don't recommend using the microwave as it makes the layers too soft.
I ended up making this pie one afternoon when I had more apples than I could eat right away and no desire for complicated recipes. The recipe is not sophisticated, but the result is a simple dessert with tender layers and a generous filling of apples. I've tried it several times and it hasn't needed many adjustments. It can be made quickly, without any hassle, and it doesn't last long in the house.
Quick Info
Total time: about 1 hour and 40 minutes
Preparation time: 35-40 minutes
Baking time: 40-50 minutes
Servings: 10-12, depending on how you cut the pie
Difficulty: easy to medium
Recipe type: homemade dessert, suitable for weekends or when you have a lot of apples
Ingredients
Dough:
500 g all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dry yeast
200 g butter or lard (room temperature)
a pinch of salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
Filling:
1.5 kg apples (weighed whole)
100 g sugar
1 packet vanilla sugar
1 teaspoon rum essence
half a teaspoon cinnamon
For finishing:
powdered sugar, for sprinkling on top
Preparation Method
1. Preparing the dough
Sift the flour into a large bowl. Add the dry yeast, sugar, and salt over the flour. Mix a little, then add the butter or lard cut into pieces and the eggs. Knead by hand until you obtain a smooth, elastic, and fairly soft dough, similar to playdough. If it's too sticky, add another tablespoon or two of flour. If it seems too hard, pour in a few tablespoons of cold milk and continue kneading. It takes me about 5 minutes to knead. Form the dough into a ball and place it in the fridge while you prepare the apples.
2. Apple filling
Wash the apples well, peel them, and grate them using a large grater. Place the grated apples in a double-bottomed pot (to prevent sticking), add the sugar, and mix. Cook over medium heat for 7-8 minutes until softened and they release juice. Once they've reduced a bit, remove the pot from heat and drain the excess juice. They shouldn't be dry, but they also shouldn't be floating in juice; I usually remove about 100 ml of juice as a guideline. Add the vanilla sugar, rum essence, and cinnamon. Mix and let cool.
3. Assembly
Preheat the oven to 180°C (medium heat). Divide the dough into two equal pieces. On a floured surface, roll out the first piece into a rectangle slightly larger than the baking tray (22x28 cm). Lift the dough onto the rolling pin and carefully transfer it to the tray. The dough should come up slightly on the sides of the tray to prevent the filling from leaking. Prick it here and there with a fork. Add the apple filling, spreading it evenly without pressing too hard.
Roll out the second piece of dough to the size of the tray and place it over the apples. Prick this layer with a fork as well, to prevent it from puffing up while baking. There's no need to seal the edges perfectly.
4. Baking
Place the tray in the preheated oven. Bake at medium heat for about 40-50 minutes, or until the top layer turns golden brown with slightly browned edges. It shouldn't become too dark.
5. Finishing and serving
Remove the tray and let it cool. While it's still warm, sprinkle powdered sugar on top. When cut warm, the pie is less tender, but it's not a tragedy if you can't wait. It cuts more nicely after it has completely cooled.
Why I make this recipe often
The crust stays tender even the next day. The pie can be kept for a few days at room temperature without hardening. It's not picky about ingredients, and the apple filling won't leak if you drain the juice in time. It cuts easily and fits any meal, whether as a dessert or alongside coffee. Rarely does it last more than two days.
Tips and Variations
Tips
If the apples are very juicy, drain the juice before placing them on the dough; otherwise, the base will be too soft.
When kneading, don't add all the flour at once if you're unsure about the dough's consistency. Sometimes the eggs can be larger or the flour more humid.
Use lard for an even flakier dough, if you have it on hand.
If you don't have dry yeast, you can try using fresh yeast (about 10-12 g), but it doesn't need to be dissolved separately.
Substitutions
Lard can be replaced with butter without any issues; the texture will be slightly different but still flaky.
You can omit the vanilla sugar or replace it with vanilla extract.
Without rum essence, the pie will have a milder flavor. The rum essence is not essential if you don't like it.
You can use brown sugar for the apples for a more caramelized flavor.
Variations
You can add chopped nuts to the filling, about a handful, if you want something extra.
If you don't have cinnamon, it's fine to leave it out, or you can add a pinch of ground cloves for a different flavor.
It can also be made with pears, but they also need to be drained well.
Serving Ideas
The simplest way is to sprinkle powdered sugar on top. For a more festive version, it pairs well with whipped cream or a spoonful of cold sour cream. It also goes well with a vanilla sauce if you feel like making one, but it's not strictly necessary.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I use apples with the skin on?
Yes, if the apples have thin skin and you don't mind the texture. I prefer to peel them, especially if they are not from my own garden.
2. Does the dough need to rise or be left to proof?
No, it doesn't need rising time like a sweet bread. The yeast helps with tenderness, not volume. It just needs to be kept cool while you make the filling.
3. Can the pie be frozen?
The dough can be frozen before baking if you want to prepare it in advance. The baked pie doesn't come out the same after freezing because the crust dries out.
4. Can it be made with other fruits?
It also works with pears or quinces, but they need to be sautéed and drained to avoid making the pie too wet.
5. Why do I need to prick the dough with a fork?
It helps with even baking and prevents the dough layer from puffing up. If you forget, the top layer will form large bubbles.
Nutritional Values
Approximately, one serving (out of 12) has about 210-220 kcal. From the total composition: approximately 36-37 g carbohydrates, 7-8 g fats, 3-4 g proteins. Most of the calories come from butter/lard and sugar. The pie is not very high in fat if you use butter, but it's not a diet dessert either. Values may vary depending on the type of apples used and the portion size.
Storage and Reheating
The pie keeps well at room temperature, covered with a clean towel or in a box. It lasts 2-3 days without problems and remains tender. It doesn't need to be reheated, and it's actually better cold after resting. If you want to serve it warm, you can place it in the oven for 5 minutes at 120°C, but I don't recommend using the microwave as it makes the layers too soft.