Nothing rustles up feelings of Americana and cozy home cooking like Apple Pie. For years I ran test batches of hand pies trying to create a "grab and go" version of the traditional wedge of pastry we most often eat with a fork. I spent countless hours crimping edges, pre-cooking fillings and cutting out the right size pieces of pastry - until today. Today I threw in the towel and realized something that I should have done a long time ago. I had seen several versions of the "slab pie" on various blogs and websites. They all seemed too elementary... sometimes the old K.I.S.S. adage is good advice!
I found that baking a slab pie consists of the exact same ingredients as your favorite apple pie recipe doubled. After cooking allow the pie to cool completely so that the filling sets. Cutting the pie with a cookie cutter into squares creates the perfect "hand pie". I decided to have a little fun with the name and called them pi squared for giggles.
My go to blog smittenkitchen.com had several varieties of slab pie including a savory breakfast version. Here is the simple Apple version that is sure to bring smiles to everyone in your home. Enjoy!
Apple Slab Pie
The crust here is 1 1/2 recipes of my All Butter, Really Flaky Pie Dough, i.e. this would yield a triple crust pie (Does such a thing exist? Now I’m daydreaming…), but here is instead divided in half for two bigger rectangular crusts. I serve this in 18 “squares” (5 cuts on the long side, 2 cuts on the short, yielding 2ish by 3-inch pieces) but it can also be cut into 12 larger rectangles.
Crust
3 3/4 (470 grams) cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
3 sticks (340 grams) unsalted butter, very cold
3/4 cup very cold water
Filling
3 1/2 to 4 pounds apples, peeled, cored and chopped into approximately 1/2-inch chunks (about 8 cups)
Squeeze of lemon juice
2/3 to 3/4 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like your pies)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon table salt
To finish
2 tablespoons heavy cream or one egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
Glaze (optional) (only need half, barely, for what’s in photos)
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon milk, water, lemon juice or fresh apple cider, plus a drop or two more if needed
Make pie crust: Whisk together flour, sugar and salt in the bottom of a large, wide-ish bowl. Using a pastry blender, two forks, or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the biggest pieces of butter are the size of tiny peas. (You’ll want to chop your butter into small bits first, unless you’re using a very strong pastry blender in which case you can throw the sticks in whole, as I do.) Gently stir in the water with a rubber spatula, mixing it until a craggy mass forms. Get your hands in the bowl and knead it just two or three times to form a ball. Divide dough roughly in half (it’s okay if one is slightly larger). Wrap each half in plastic wrap and flatten a bit, like a disc. Chill in fridge for at least an hour or up to two days or slip plastic-wrapped dough into a freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 to 2 months (longer if you trust your freezer more than I do). To defrost, leave in fridge for 1 day. [Still freaked out about making your own pie dough? Read this for a ton of additional tips and details.]
Heat oven oven to 375 degrees F. Line bottom of 10x15x1-inch baking sheet or jellyroll pan with parchment paper.
Prepare filling: In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice until coated. Top with remaining filling ingredients and stir to evenly coat.
Assemble pie: On a lightly floured surface, roll one of your dough halves (the larger one, if you have two different sizes) into an 18-by-13-inch rectangle. This can be kind of a pain because it is so large. Do your best to work quickly, keeping the dough as cold as possible and using enough flour that it doesn’t stick to the counter. Transfer to your prepared baking sheet and gently drape some of the overhang in so that the dough fills out the inner edges and corners. Some pastry will still hang over the sides of the pan; trim this to 3/4-inch.
Pour apple mixture over and spread evenly.
Roll the second of your dough halves (the smaller one, if they were different sizes) into a 16-by-11-inch rectangle. Drape over filling and fold the bottom crust’s overhang over the edges sealing them together. Cut small slits to act as vents all over lid. Brush lid heavy cream or egg wash. Bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack until just warm to the touch, about 45 minutes.
In a medium bowl, stir together confectioners’ sugar and liquid of your choice until a pourable glaze consistency is reached. Use a spoon to drizzle over top. Serve slab pie in squares or rectangles, warm or at room temperature.
It keeps at room temperature for at least three days.
I found that baking a slab pie consists of the exact same ingredients as your favorite apple pie recipe doubled. After cooking allow the pie to cool completely so that the filling sets. Cutting the pie with a cookie cutter into squares creates the perfect "hand pie". I decided to have a little fun with the name and called them pi squared for giggles.
My go to blog smittenkitchen.com had several varieties of slab pie including a savory breakfast version. Here is the simple Apple version that is sure to bring smiles to everyone in your home. Enjoy!
Apple Slab Pie
The crust here is 1 1/2 recipes of my All Butter, Really Flaky Pie Dough, i.e. this would yield a triple crust pie (Does such a thing exist? Now I’m daydreaming…), but here is instead divided in half for two bigger rectangular crusts. I serve this in 18 “squares” (5 cuts on the long side, 2 cuts on the short, yielding 2ish by 3-inch pieces) but it can also be cut into 12 larger rectangles.
Crust
3 3/4 (470 grams) cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
3 sticks (340 grams) unsalted butter, very cold
3/4 cup very cold water
Filling
3 1/2 to 4 pounds apples, peeled, cored and chopped into approximately 1/2-inch chunks (about 8 cups)
Squeeze of lemon juice
2/3 to 3/4 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like your pies)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon table salt
To finish
2 tablespoons heavy cream or one egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
Glaze (optional) (only need half, barely, for what’s in photos)
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon milk, water, lemon juice or fresh apple cider, plus a drop or two more if needed
Make pie crust: Whisk together flour, sugar and salt in the bottom of a large, wide-ish bowl. Using a pastry blender, two forks, or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the biggest pieces of butter are the size of tiny peas. (You’ll want to chop your butter into small bits first, unless you’re using a very strong pastry blender in which case you can throw the sticks in whole, as I do.) Gently stir in the water with a rubber spatula, mixing it until a craggy mass forms. Get your hands in the bowl and knead it just two or three times to form a ball. Divide dough roughly in half (it’s okay if one is slightly larger). Wrap each half in plastic wrap and flatten a bit, like a disc. Chill in fridge for at least an hour or up to two days or slip plastic-wrapped dough into a freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 to 2 months (longer if you trust your freezer more than I do). To defrost, leave in fridge for 1 day. [Still freaked out about making your own pie dough? Read this for a ton of additional tips and details.]
Heat oven oven to 375 degrees F. Line bottom of 10x15x1-inch baking sheet or jellyroll pan with parchment paper.
Prepare filling: In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice until coated. Top with remaining filling ingredients and stir to evenly coat.
Assemble pie: On a lightly floured surface, roll one of your dough halves (the larger one, if you have two different sizes) into an 18-by-13-inch rectangle. This can be kind of a pain because it is so large. Do your best to work quickly, keeping the dough as cold as possible and using enough flour that it doesn’t stick to the counter. Transfer to your prepared baking sheet and gently drape some of the overhang in so that the dough fills out the inner edges and corners. Some pastry will still hang over the sides of the pan; trim this to 3/4-inch.
Pour apple mixture over and spread evenly.
Roll the second of your dough halves (the smaller one, if they were different sizes) into a 16-by-11-inch rectangle. Drape over filling and fold the bottom crust’s overhang over the edges sealing them together. Cut small slits to act as vents all over lid. Brush lid heavy cream or egg wash. Bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack until just warm to the touch, about 45 minutes.
In a medium bowl, stir together confectioners’ sugar and liquid of your choice until a pourable glaze consistency is reached. Use a spoon to drizzle over top. Serve slab pie in squares or rectangles, warm or at room temperature.
It keeps at room temperature for at least three days.