I begin by gathering the finest ingredients available, things like real butter, fresh fruit, and high protein flour.
I cut the butter into the flour and knead the dough in a ball and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. I refrigerate the dough for 2 hours or longer as chilling the dough helps the fats harden so the crust will maintain its structure.
After the dough has chilled I remove it from the refrigerator and let it rest about 10 minutes before rolling, which relaxes the dough’s gluten, helping to prevent a tough crust. Then I begin rolling the crust gently, turning it as I go with my hands using a wood rolling pin. Turn, roll, turn, roll until it’s big enough to fit a 9-inch pie dish.
I begin peeling and coring 7 fresh apples. I toss the apples with sugar and spices and place on top of the freshly rolled crust. Then I roll the remaining dough into a 12-inch circle so that there is enough crust to go up the edges of the dish and so I can trim and flute.
I place the pie in a hot oven and bake for 20 minutes. Then I reduce the oven and bake for another 40 minutes, checking it often to make sure the edges aren’t browning too quickly. If needed I place a crust shield to prevent the crust from getting too brown.