Yeast-Dough Apple Pie in the Oven

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you bake a yeast-dough apple pie? Gather the ingredients. They should be at room temperature. Warm the milk slightly so the dough rises faster. Use all-purpose or bread flour with a good gluten content — it's best for rich yeast doughs.

2. Step 2:

   

   First, proof the yeast. In a small, deep bowl, combine the yeast, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 50 ml (about 3 1/2 tablespoons) of warm milk, and stir well. Let the mixture sit for 10–15 minutes until a foamy "cap" forms. If no cap appears, or it rises weakly and slowly, the yeast isn't active enough and is better replaced — dough made with it won't turn out, and you'd risk wasting both time and effort.

3. Step 3:

   

   Melt the butter over low heat (you can also do this in the microwave). Let it cool.

4. Step 4:

   

   Sift the flour through a sieve. Use a roomy, wide bowl so the flour doesn't spill onto the counter. Why sift? Sifting adds air to the flour, which helps the dough rise more easily and come out light and fluffy.

5. Step 5:

   

   Choose a suitable bowl for mixing the dough. Beat the eggs until smooth. What to beat them with? A whisk or a fork will do — you won't need a mixer here.

6. Step 6:

   

   Add the sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt to the beaten eggs. Whisk again until the dry ingredients partly dissolve.

7. Step 7:

   

   Pour in the yeast mixture and stir with a spoon.

8. Step 8:

   

   Add the rest of the warm milk (150 ml, about 2/3 cup) and stir.

9. Step 9:

   

   Pour in the melted butter and stir. The butter shouldn't be hot — just barely warm is fine, or it will affect the yeast.

10. Step 10:

    

    Add the sifted flour to the wet mixture. You can pass it through the sieve again to sift it twice. Don't add all the flour at once, or the dough will turn out stiff and heavy. Start with about 3/4 of it and stir with a spoon.

11. Step 11:

    

    At this point the dough is still very sticky.

12. Step 12:

    

    Then add the remaining flour a little at a time, working the dough by hand after each addition and watching its consistency.

13. Step 13:

    

    The dough should turn out soft, pliable, and smooth, barely sticking to your hands. Shape it into a ball, cover it with a towel so it doesn't dry out, and leave it in a warm spot to rise.

14. Step 14:

    

    While the dough rises, make the filling. Use large apples; if yours are small, use more of them.

15. Step 15:

    

    Melt the butter in a wide skillet.

16. Step 16:

    

    Add the sugar to the pan and stir. Adjust the amount to your taste and to how sweet the apples are.

17. Step 17:

    

    Over moderate heat, stirring often, cook the sweet butter mixture until it turns a light caramel color.

18. Step 18:

    

    Wash the apples, then peel and core them. Cut them up however you like — fairly thick slices or cubes both work.

19. Step 19:

    

    Add the prepared apples to the skillet and stir.

20. Step 20:

    

    Cook the filling over medium heat until the apple pieces are moderately soft, stirring gently with a wooden spatula so they cook evenly. At the end, sprinkle in the cinnamon and stir. Cinnamon is optional — leave it out if you'd rather not use it.

21. Step 21:

    

    Keep the apples over low heat for 1 more minute, then take them off the stove. The filling needs to cool to room temperature; transfer it to a separate bowl to speed that up.

22. Step 22:

    

    The dough has risen well, roughly 2.5 times in volume. In my case that took 1 hour and 20 minutes. Rising time depends on the room temperature and how active your yeast is.

23. Step 23:

    

    Dust your work surface with flour. Gently punch down the dough and turn it out onto the counter. Divide it into two unequal pieces. The smaller piece is for decorating the top of the pie; cover it with a towel so it doesn't dry out while you shape the pie.

24. Step 24:

    

    How do you shape an open-face pie? I made a rectangular one, but you can make it round or square and bake it in any suitable pan. I found it easier to make this pie on a baking sheet than in a rimmed pan — pick whichever works for you. Roll the dough out on the floured surface into a sheet. I wanted the bottom crust and the filling to be about the same thickness, so I rolled it no more than 7–8 mm (about 1/3 inch) thick.

25. Step 25:

    

    I made the edges of the sheet a little thinner, since they'll be folded up over the filling. Carefully roll the dough onto the rolling pin and transfer it to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

26. Step 26:

    

    The dough is very soft and pliable. If it stretches out of shape during the transfer, it's easy to straighten and reshape. Grease the pan with a little vegetable oil if needed.

27. Step 27:

    

    Spread the apple filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 3–4 cm (about 1 1/2 inch) border on each side.

28. Step 28:

    

    Take part of the smaller piece of dough, roll it out, and cut it into 1 cm (about 1/2 inch) wide strips. Lay the strips over the filling in a lattice pattern.

29. Step 29:

    

    Fold the border of dough up over the filling. Pinch the corners together where they meet so they don't come apart while baking.

30. Step 30:

    

    Use the rest of the dough to make any decorations you like, to dress the pie up. You can skip steps 24–30 entirely and shape the pie however you please.

31. Step 31:

    

    In a small bowl, beat the egg with the milk with a fork until smooth.

32. Step 32:

    

    Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the pie with the egg wash so it bakes up golden. By the time I finished decorating, the dough had risen nicely again, so no extra proofing was needed.

33. Step 33:

    

    Bake the apple pie in an oven preheated to 350°F (180°C) until done. If a wooden skewer comes out of the dough clean, the pie is ready. Baking time depends on the pie's size and thickness and on your oven. Mine was 32 x 22 cm (about 13 x 9 inches) and baked for about 40 minutes. If the top browns too soon before the inside is done, cover it with a sheet of foil.

34. Step 34:

    

    Let the finished pie cool completely, then cut it into portions and serve. Enjoy with a cup of tea!