Okay, so I’ve been on this baking kick lately, and I decided to tackle a deep-dish pie. I’ve made regular pies before, but the deep dish always seemed a bit… intimidating. I mean, more crust, more filling, more potential for disaster, right?
I went out and bought a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. It looked HUGE. Like, seriously, I could probably bathe a small dog in this thing. I started to doubt that would be able success.
First things first: the crust. I used my go-to recipe, the one I always use for regular pies. I just doubled it. I rolled it out, and honestly, it felt like I was wrestling a giant pizza dough. Getting it into the pie plate was… an experience. Let’s just say there was some patching involved. I blind-baked the bottom crust. It needs to be able to carry so much weight, right?
The Filling
- I decided to go with a classic apple filling.
- I peeled and sliced what felt like a million apples. Seriously, my hands were cramping.
- I tossed them with sugar, cinnamon, a little nutmeg, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Pretty standard stuff.
Then came the moment of truth: pouring the filling into the crust. It was…a lot. I mean, this pie plate was DEEP. I piled the apples in, mounding them up high, hoping the crust could handle the pressure.
Next up, the top crust. I rolled out the second batch of dough, and carefully draped it over the apples. I crimped the edges, trying to make it look somewhat presentable, but let’s be real, this wasn’t going to win any beauty contests. Rustic charm, that’s what I was going for.
I cut a few slits in the top crust to let the steam escape, brushed it with a little egg wash for that golden-brown goodness, and popped it in the oven.
The baking time was longer than a regular pie, obviously. I think it took close to an hour and fifteen minutes, but I kept a close eye on it, making sure the crust didn’t burn. I also rotated the direction.
When it finally came out, it looked… amazing! The crust was golden brown, the filling was bubbling, and the whole kitchen smelled like apple-cinnamon heaven.
Letting it cool was the hardest part. I wanted to dive right in, but I knew I had to let the filling set. After what felt like an eternity (probably about two hours), I finally cut a slice. It was HUGE. Like, a single slice was practically a meal in itself.
And the taste? Totally worth the effort. The crust was flaky, the filling was sweet and tart, and the whole thing was just…perfect. Deep-dish pie success!
