Ultimate Vegan Deep-Dish Apple Pie: Step by Step Guide

Preheat the oven to 425 ^oF (218 ^oC).

Weigh the freezer-chilled flour and add salt and sugar. Whisk until thoroughly mixed.

Dice the plant-based butter sticks into as tiny pieces as possible.

Add the butter to the flour mixture and squeeze the mixture with your fingers until the butter is completely incorporated in the flour and the mixture is crumbly with no lumps.

Add 8-12 Tablespoons (or more) of ice water--a tablespoon at a time--until the dough is "shaggy" but sticks together when squeezed into a ball without crumbling apart.

Divide the dough in the proportion of 55%/45% (about 450 grams and 370 grams, respectively). Squeeze tightly into balls then flatten into discs, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator.

Flour a surface and roll out the larger disc of chilled dough into a roughly 14 inch circle and a thickness of about 1/8 inch (3.2 mm). It helps to lightly flour the dough and rolling pin to prevent sticking.

Loosely roll the dough around the rolling pin (if needed gently use a chef's knife to release dough from surface) and gently unroll onto a 9-inch deep pie plate and press into place. Overlap the edges then trim the excess.

Blind bake the bottom crust to prevent “soggy bottom.” Line the bottom crust dough with parchment paper and weigh it down with dried beans to keep the dough from rising. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven.

Remove the parchment/beans and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Set aside and let the crust cool.

Pare each apple and use a coring utensil that yields 8 slices. Further cut each slice lengthwise for a total of 16 slices per apple.

Grate a lemon for zest then cut it in half and extract the juice with a juicer.

In a small bowl mix granulated white sugar, light brown sugar, sea salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground all-spice, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

In a 4-quart bowl, thoroughly mix the sugar and spice mixture with the apple slices.

Layer the apples tightly in concentric circles within the bottom crust (press together to avoid air spaces) and pile higher in the middle.

Repeat steps #7 and #8 with the 2^nd disc of dough except roll it out to about 12 inches in diameter. Gently roll onto the rolling pin and unroll onto the pie. Tuck in the edge to the bottom crust.

Cut 4 slits in the top and optionally sprinkle top with granulated sugar.

Place the oven rack at the lowest position and place the pie pan on an aluminum foil-covered baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake for 25 minutes at 425 ^oF (218 ^oC).

Rotate the cookie pan, reduce heat to 375 ^oF (191 ^oC) and bake for an additional 35 minutes.

Since the apple filling reduces down somewhat during baking it may leave a void under the top crust when done baking, gently press the crust down onto the filling using the bottom of a ladle or spoon.

Cool the pie on a wire rack for 4 hours before serving. Serving suggestion: reheat a slice and add a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream on top.