Apple Slab Pie a/k/a Apple Squares

🧂 Ingredients

• 37 grams sugar

  (3 Tablepoons)
• 450 grams all purpose flour

  (3¾ cups)
• 1½ teaspoon fine sea salt

  (or table salt)
• 340 grams refrigerator cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼ inch pieces*

  (24 Tablespoons or 1½ cups; Note: If mixing in a food processor, place your cut up butter in the freezer for at least 15 minutes before using)
• ¾ cup ice water**

  (approximately; will likely be a little less)
• 4 Pounds apples, any variety of baking apples

  (1.8 kilograms)
• 150 grams sugar

  (¾ cup)
• 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon table salt
• 100 grams sugar

  (½ cup)
• 4 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 large egg***

  (refrigerator cold)

Instructions

• 1 Dough by hand. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Add
  all the butter. Using your hands, coat each piece of butter with the flour
  mixture. Pinch the pieces of butter to flatten them a bit. Keep working the
  mixture for a couple of minutes until the mixture resembles coarse sand with
  most of the clumps of butter the size of peas. Make a well in the middle. Add
  half of the ice cold water. Using your hands, scoop the flour from the sides and
  the bottoms to hydrate the flour with the water. Repeat, making a well in the
  middle and adding 1 Tablespoon of ice cold water at a time. You know you are
  done when the dough is slightly clumpy and becomes smooth when flattened in the
  palm of your hand. Divide the mixture in two, with one part slightly more than
  the other. Pour each half onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Push down on the plastic
  wrap to flatten the dough together into a rectangle. Repeat with the remaining
  portion of dough. Place the wrapped doughs in the refrigerator for at least 30
  minutes and up to 24 hours. Continue with Step 4, below.
• 2 Dough by Food Processor. Combine the flour, sugar and salt and pulse several
  times. Add all of the frozen butter. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse
  sand with most of the clumps of butter the size of peas. Add half of the ice
  cold water and pulse a few times to combine. If the mixture is too dry, add more
  of the ice cold water 1 Tablespoon. at a time. You know you are done when the
  dough is slightly clumpy and when flattened in your palm it is smooth. Divide
  the mixture in two, with one part slightly more than the other. Pour each onto a
  sheet of plastic wrap. Push down on the plastic wrap to flatten into a
  rectangle. Repeat with the remaining portion of dough. Place the wrapped doughs
  in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. Continue with
  Step 4, below.
• 3 Dough by Mixer. In the mixing bowl of an electric mixer, mix the flour, sugar
  and salt on low with the paddle attachment until fully combined. Add the
  refrigerator cold butter and mix until the mixture resembles coarse sand with
  most of the clumps of butter the size of peas. With the mixer on low, slowly add
  half of the ice cold water. If the mixture is too dry, add 1 Tablespoon of ice
  cold water at a time. You know you are done when the dough is slightly clumpy
  and when flattened in your palm it is smooth. Divide the mixture in two, with
  one part slightly, more than the other. Pour each onto a sheet of plastic wrap.
  Push down on the plastic wrap to flatten the dough into a rectangle. Repeat with
  the remaining portion of dough. Place the wrapped doughs in the refrigerator for
  at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. Continue with Step 4, below.
• 4 Remove the larger piece of dough from the refrigerator and lightly flour the
  countertop and your rolling pin. Place the dough on the lightly floured
  countertop and lightly flour the top of the dough.
• 5 Roll the dough out so that it is a rectangle, approximately 18 inches by 13
  inches. (If the dough cracks when you first start rolling, let it sit on the
  counter for a couple minutes. It just means the dough is too cold.) Line the
  jelly roll pan with the dough, pressing the dough into the edges. Place pan in
  refrigerator or freezer to chill.
• 6 Remove the remaining pie dough from the refrigerator and roll it out into a
  rectangle, approximately 16 inches by 11 inches. Place on parchment paper and
  onto a baking sheet. Refrigerate until ready to use. (Alternatively, you can
  wait to roll out the top dough, keeping it refrigerated, until after the bottom
  dough is filled with the apples.)
• 7 In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, allspice,
  nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
• 8 Peel, half and core the apples. Cut them into ¼-inch squares and place them into
  a large mixing bowl.
• 9 Pour the sugar mixture over the apples. Toss the apples to evenly coat them.
• 10 Preheat oven to 375° F.
• 11 Remove the jelly roll pan with the bottom crust from the freezer or
  refrigerator. Spread the apple mixture evenly into the prepared pan. If you have
  not already rolled out the top dough, roll it out now and place on top of slab
  pie. If you have the top dough rolled out, remove it from the refrigerator and
  flip it over so the parchment paper is on top. Peel the parchment off. Join the
  top and bottom dough layers together by pressing them into each other with your
  fingertips. Crimp or use a fork to press down on the edges. Use a paring knife
  to cut slits into the top dough to allow steam to escape as the pie bakes. Use a
  paring knife to trim any excess dough from the edges. Freeze the entire slab pie
  for 15 minutes, or refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• 12 In a small bowl, mix the sugar with the cinnamon. Set aside.
• 13 Beat the cold egg. With a pastry brush, brush the top of the apple slab pie with
  the beaten egg. Generously sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top.
• 14 Bake for 45-50 minutes. The edges should be golden brown. Allow to cool on a
  wire rack before slicing. (To prevent any juices from falling onto the bottom of
  your oven, take a large piece of heavy duty foil and fold the edges up. Place
  the foil on the rack under the slab pie. The foil will catch any juices.)

Nutrition Info