How to flute a double-crust pie

A few months ago I experimented with the video camera on my phone. The video did not turn out the best, but it did well enough to get the point! Thankfully, the pies turned out GREAT. I took pictures too, so here is the whole process, from start to finish.

The filling

For a 9" pie you will need about 6 cups of thinly sliced green/tart apples (like Granny Smith). Sometimes I leave the peels on if I am in a hurry and no one in our house seems to care, however we do prefer them peeled if time allows. In a small saucepan gently melt 1/4-1/2c honey and stir in 3T flour, 1t cinnamon and 1t vanilla. Pour over the sliced apples and toss or gently stir to coat well.

The crust

pastry blender

Combine 2 1/4c flour (I like to use a mixture of whole meal and unbleached flours, however 100% unbleached flour will produce a lighter crust) and 1/2t salt. Cut in 2/3c shortening with a pastry blender or a fork till the mixture has pea-size chunks. Now it's time to add the water, and here is the crucial step! Be sure to use ICE COLD water - I just fill a cup with water and add several cubes of ice. You may simply dip the tablespoon into the cup of water, avoiding the ice. Add water, ONE tablespoon at a time, till the dough just begins to form a ball. Stir GENTLY after each water addition and be very careful not to overmix or add too much water. Depending on your flours, you should need at least 5T of water for this recipe however sometimes you could need more (I've used 8-9T before). You might be tempted to add a few tablespoons at a time to speed things up, but I'm here to tell you that haste makes waste.

When your dough has formed a ball (it is smooth, holds together and is not sticky) you should be able to see the fat 'marbleized' in the flour ... it will have swirls just like marble does. This is what makes a nice, flaky crust. If you do not see the swirls of fat, then you have probably over-mixed your dough. It will still work fine, it just will not have a light, flaky texture. Practice will help, so keep trying ... your family will not mind! It helps to allow the dough to rest and cool in the refrigerator for a half hour or so, however this is not necessary if time does not allow.

Now you are read to roll it out and put it in the pie pan. This is for two crusts, so divide your dough in half first! Here are photos for that process, however this is also what I showed on the video (after the photos, at the bottom of this post). Be sure to have flour on hand to dust the working surfaces!

1: Roll the dough evenly and big enough to fit the pan.

2: Dust with flour to prevent sticking and fold in half.

3: Dust and fold in half again.

4: Unfold the crust into the pie plan.

5: Scoop in filling. It will rise over the top but that's ok.

6: Get the top crust ready as before and unfold on to the pie.

Continue unfolding...

7: Now it's ready to seal, flute and vent - see the video!

8: Bake at 375 till done - the crust will be golden brown. ~50min or so.

You may brush the top with egg and sprinkle on sugar before baking, however this might cause the crust to brown quicker - if it seems your crust is browning too fast, simply cover loosely with foil.

For saving time, make more than one pie and freeze the excess while still raw. When needed, remove from the freezer with enough time to thaw on the counter before baking. I just take mine out in the morning and bake in the evening. On this particular day I made two pies, had one that day and one a few months later. The frozen pie was just as good as the other. I've heard you can bake it right from a frozen state, however I have not tried this yet. Obviously the cooking time will increase.