Apple Pie

Make the crust dough up to 3 days in advance. The dough will need to rest for at least 3-12 hours or up to 3 days. The filling will also need time to cool. Prepare this early in the day before baking.

For the Dough

1. In a large bowl or food processor, combine the flour and sugar and mix to combine.
2. Add the cubed butter and pulse (or pinch with your fingers) until the butter breaks down slightly and forms flakes or crumbly texture.  Do not overmix or allow the butter to melt into the flour.
3. Add the ice cold water one tablespoon at a time until a ball of dough begins to form. Do not over mix at this point.  The dough should not be smooth, but rather just come together with most of the flour absorbed with some water and large sections of butter are still visible.
4. Remove from the food processor and finish the dough by folding it over a couple of times to build layered structure.
5. Form the dough into a flat square, wrap with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 3-12 hours, or up to 3 days.

For the Filling

1. Skin and core each apple.
2. Slice the apple in half and place it flat on the bench.
3. Slice the apples into 1/2" inch wedges and place directly into the unheated dutch oven or large soup pot.
4. After the apples are all added, add the sugar, honey, ground cinnamon, lemon juice and zest to the pot.
5. Cook the apples over a medium to medium high heat until the apples break down to nearly half their volume. Approx. 15-20 minutes. They will be done when they are bendable but still have a slight crispy bite. You can also carefully taste a slice to determine if more sugar or spice is needed for the seasonal apples.
6. Combine the cornstarch and water to make a slurry and add to the apples. Cook and stir regularly until all the juices at the bottom of the pot thicken and no longer feel to runny. They should appear more like a jam and come off the bottom easily to coat the apples. You can make and add more slurry if needed until the filling is no longer runny.
7. When the filling is finished cooking, spread it out on a foil lined baking sheet to cool to at least room temperature.

For Baking

1. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375F
2. Remove the dough from the fridge and divide it by 60% for the bottom, 40% for the top.
3. Roll out the bottom section with a rolling pin until about 1/8" inch and enough dough covers the size of your pie dish and hangs over the lip of the dish by at least 1 inch all around. Trim excess if needed.
4. If you're using a cast iron pie dish, skip to step 7. If you're not using a cast iron dish, dock the dough at the bottom of the dish to prevent any rising during the prebake.
5. Place the pie shell in the freezer for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes are up, prebake the crust for 30 minutes. Afterwards, remove from the oven and let cool.
6. Remove the weights and apply an egg wash with the egg and milk mixture to the outer edge of the crust. This will act like a glue for the top crust.
7. Add the filling to the pie shell. Be sure not to cover the edges by pushing any excess filling towards the middle of the pie.
8. Prepare the remaining dough for the top crust by rolling it out to 1/8th inch and allowing it to overlap the bottom crust by about 1/2 inch.  Trim excess if needed.
9. Fold the overlap of the top crust under the the edge of the lower crust and crimp the edges with whatever style you're comfortable with.
10. Apply more egg-wash to cover the entire top crust.
11. Sprinkle the top with sugar and slice ventilation slits in the top.
12. Bake for 40-50 minutes at 375F or until the crust is a nice golden brown.
13. Cool for at least 20-30 minutes to serve warm, or let cool completely before serving.