The best closed apple pie

Ingredients:

Dough

• 3.5 cups premium flour (see Note)
• 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1.5 tsp coarse salt
• 330 g chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces and frozen
• 1/3 cup chilled vodka
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Filling and assembly

• 1.3 kg of a mix of sweet and tart firm baking apples, such as Pink Lady, Braeburn, or Granny Smith
• 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup premium flour + extra for dusting
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 0.5 tsp coarse salt
• 1/8 tsp ground allspice
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 large egg
• 3 tbsp demerara sugar or raw sugar

Preparation:

1. Dough:

   
   Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until the largest pieces of butter are the size of peas. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. In a small bowl, combine the vodka, vinegar, and 1/4 cup ice water (or 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon ice water if not using vodka). Drizzle the liquid mixture over the dough, then mix with a fork until sticky clumps form. Knead the dough in the bowl with your hands a couple of times until it comes together (it will look quite dry, which is okay). Transfer any large clumps of dough to a work surface. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of ice water over any remaining small pieces of dough in the bowl and knead again to bring them together. If the remaining dough is still too dry to come together, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Add this portion to the dough on the work surface and mix everything together until it comes together, incorporating all dry bits. Form the dough into a 2.5 cm thick sheet. Using a bench scraper or knife, divide the sheet into 4 pieces. Stack the pieces on top of each other, tucking any loose dry bits between the layers. Flatten the dough into a 2 cm thick layer. Repeat this process (cutting, stacking, and flattening) 3 more times; this will create a flaky dough.
3. Divide the dough in half and form into 2.5 cm thick discs; wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or preferably overnight. The dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

4. Filling and assembly:

   
   Peel and core the apples, and cut them into 1-cm-thick slices. In a large bowl, combine the apples, brown sugar, flour, butter, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt, allspice, and nutmeg. Let the apples sit for 30 minutes to release their juices.
5. Meanwhile, soften one disk of dough at room temperature for 5 minutes. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly flour the work surface. Roll the dough out to a thickness of 0.3 cm (approximately 16 inches in diameter). Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate. Soften the second disk of dough at room temperature for 5 minutes. Then roll it out to the same thickness and diameter as the first disk.
6. Carefully transfer the second sheet of dough to a 9-inch pie pan. Lift the edges to allow the dough to settle into the pan. Press the dough firmly against the sides and bottom of the pan. Trim the edges, leaving about an inch (2.5 cm) overhang. Refrigerate for 5 minutes to firm up. Remove the first sheet of dough from the refrigerator and let it soften for 5 minutes.
7. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Line another rimmed baking sheet with foil and place it in the middle of the oven.
8. Transfer the apple filling to the pie pan, creating a mound in the center. Whisk the egg with 1 teaspoon of water in a small bowl and brush the edges of the dough. Place the second layer of dough on top of the filling. Trim the edges, leaving about a 1 cm overhang. Fold the bottom edge up and over the top edge; press the two layers of dough together to seal the filling inside. Crimp the edges and brush the surface of the pie with beaten egg. Sprinkle with demerara sugar. Cut a few slits in the surface of the pie to allow steam to escape. Place the pie in the freezer for 10 minutes.
9. Place the pie pan on the preheated baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 190°C (375°F). Continue baking for 45 minutes, then loosely cover the pie with foil. Continue baking until the crust is golden brown and the juices are thick and bubbling, another 35 to 45 minutes. The juices will begin to bubble after about 75 minutes, but they will thicken and bubble more rapidly in the last 15 minutes; resist the urge to remove the pie before the bubbling becomes intense. If you are using a clear pie pan, ensure the bottom crust is evenly browned. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let it cool for at least 4 hours before serving. Yes, it smells amazing, and yes, people love warm pie. But if you don't let it set well, the filling will be runny when you cut it.
   
   

   Note

   
   When measuring flour, spoon it into a dry measuring cup and remove any excess. Scooping flour directly from the bag with a measuring cup will compact it, resulting in dry baked goods.