Description

"As American as apple pie," so the saying goes. But apple pie did not originate from America at all. In fact, apples are native to Central Asia and by 1500 BCE apple seeds had made their way throughout Europe.1 The first documented recipe for apple pie came from England in 1381, then pops up later in a Dutch cookbook in 1514.2 It wasn't until the 17th century that this classic fruit spread to North America and gave rise to what is now known as the most iconic American dessert.

Directions

1. Gather the crust ingredients.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, salt, and cold cubed butter. Mix on low speed until the butter chunks are the size of peas, about 1 minute.
3. With the machine running, drizzle in the ice water just until the dough barely comes together. If the dough is too dry, add more water 1 teaspoon at a time.
4. Turn the dough out onto a flour-dusted work surface and finish kneading by hand until there are no more shaggy bits left.
5. Form the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Meanwhile, prepare the streusel.
6. Gather the streusel ingredients. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
7. In the same mixer bowl (no need to wash it out) fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, cubed butter, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and baking powder. Paddle on low speed until the mixture is combined and large clumps form, about 1 minute.
8. Spread the streusel out onto the lined baking sheet and place in the fridge to chill while you prepare the rest of the pie.
9. Gather the filling ingredients.
10. Peel, core, and cut all the apples into 1/4-inch thick slices.
11. Add the apple slices to a large bowl with the granulated and brown sugars, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt. Toss until the mixture is coated. Set aside.
12. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Have a 9-inch pie pan ready.
13. Place the dough disc on a flour-dusted work surface. Dust the top with more flour. Starting with your rolling pin in the center each time, roll the dough away from you, then toward you. Rotate the disc about 20 degrees counterclockwise and roll again away from you, then toward you. Continue to rotate and roll until you have a large circle of dough about 1/8 inch thick. If the dough starts to stick to the surface or the rolling pin at any point, dust the surface or the dough with more flour.
14. Loosely roll the dough around the rolling pin and transfer it to the pie pan. Let the dough drape loosely into the pan—if you pull it too tight it will shrink around the edges.
15. Use your fingers to press the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan, then fold the edges under to create a thick rim.
16. Crimp or finish the dough rim as desired. Freeze the pie pan for 10 minutes to firm up. This will help it retain its shape during baking.
17. Fill the crust with the filling mixture, making a mound in the center (leave any liquid at the bottom of the bowl behind to prevent a soggy crust. You can cook this down on medium heat, if desired, for a delicious syrup to drizzle on top of the pie).
18. Take the streusel out of the fridge and crumble over the top of the pie. Place the pie on the lined baking sheet and bake until the filling is bubbling and the streusel is golden brown, 50 to 60 minutes. Begin checking the pie after the first 30 minutes. If the top is browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil and continue baking.
19. Let the pie cool at room temperature for at least two hours before serving.