Apple Pie

For the last month I was promising my wife that I’ll bake her apple pie. Two weeks ago I bought the apples, unsalted butter and lard so I was ready to bake the pie, I just didn’t get around to it. Then on Saturday I started to prepare my mise-en-place for my thin crust pizza and came across the apples. Immediately I thought that since I will have to use oven why not to bake apple pies before. Well, it was already 2 PM and I had only 3 hours to make them from scratch:

Peel, core and slice apples, prepare and rest the dough, roll the dough, line the pie pans and bake the pies. I was slammed bad! I was in the really tall weeds before I even started! Peeling, coring and slicing the apples wasn’t a problem because I have nifty hand machine that does all three tasks at the same time. The dough is another story. In order for baked pie dough to be light and flaky it has to be worked as little as possible and it has to stay as cold as possible through the whole process. And, it needs a rest, like at least 1/2 an hour in coldest part of fridge. For dough I used fool proof formula of 3-2-1 ratio for flour-fat-water and for fat I used 1 part butter and 1 part pure lard. Since my butter and lard were in freezer all I had to do is carefully cut off amount I needed and grate it directly into the flour, put the mix in my Cuisinart, pulse it couple of times, add ice cold water and pulse it again twice or 3 times. Before I started to work on the dough I put my marble slab outside in the snow. In summer I put it in freezer for few minutes. From food processor dough is placed on a cold slab and kneaded till the dough holds together and you can form a ball. Place in plastic bag flatten and put the bag in coldest part of fridge for at least 1/2 an hour.

Hardest part over, it was time to assemble.

Pie Dough:

3 cups all purpose flour

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup pure lard

1 cup ice cold water

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. sugar

Filling:

6 Granny Smith apples

1/2 cup brown sugar

zest from 1 lemon

lemon juice from 1/2 lemon

1 tsp. cinnamon

pinch of ground allspice

1/3 cup potato or corn starch

1/3 cup Sultan raisins

1/3 cup chopped walnuts.

Whisk the flour, salt and sugar together in a large bowl. Using a standard box or potato grater grate the frozen butter into the flour and toss lightly with your fingers until it is thoroughly combined.  Sprinkle in ice water and mix with your fingers until the dough comes together in a ball.  Divide it into two pieces, making sure one half is slightly larger than the other.  Wrap in plastic wrap, flatten and chill for at least 30 minutes or even overnight. Resting will help tenderize the pastry and make it easier to roll.
Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and allow it to warm slightly, just until it is pliable. Lightly flour your hands, the rolling pin, your work surface and the dough. Roll out the larger pastry disc into a circle large enough to slightly overlap the edges of an 8-inch glass pie dish. Transfer the dough to the pie dish by folding it into quarters then unfolding it in the dish.
Preheat your oven to 450°.
Toss the apples with all other filling ingredients. Add the apples to the bottom crust then roll out the remaining smaller disc and carefully place over the top of the pie.  Roll and crimp the edges of the dough together, tightly sealing them.  Poke a few vent holes into the top of the pie and place on the bottom rack of oven.

Baked for 10 minutes in 450 °F oven and then lower temperature to 350 °F and baked for another 45 minutes or until the crust is golden and juices are bubbling.

Instant or RapidRise™ Yeast

On one of the blogs that I occasionally read had a post about how to prevent RapidRise (Quick-Rise in Canada) yeast from failing. Apparently the author’s last baking venture was a disaster. To remedy future failure author advocated starting the yeast in water. Interesting, except that even “Fleischmann’s”, the largest manufacturer of household instant yeast, doesn’t recommend this practice but instead favors mixing the yeast with the flour and then proceed with the recipe. I have always done it and my dough has never failed to rise. Only concern that baker has is make sure that the water is heated to 120°F to 130°F, yeast dies at 140°F. I go one step farther and preheat bowl where dough will rest. Following photos show how rapid that yeast is. Since we had decided to have a pizza next day I took pictures of my dough. Full recipe is here. More tips from Fleischmann’s.

Fresh out of food processor and 15 second kneading.

In 17 minutes it is almost double in volume already.

In just one hour the dough has more then tripled in volume, as usual.

Check the gas pockets in my dough. This dough is as light as a feather.

Pastry Pie with filings (Kolache)

Yesterday, as I was surfing the net I came across a Czech pastry shop website. On a main page was a picture of Kolache. It is almost impossible to translate the word kolache, it is original Czech word. It is basically round pastry pie topped with various toppings; cottage cheese, poppy seeds and prune jam being the three most favorite fillings. When I saw the picture I actually could smell it! I had to make some for Marjo, she never had these. The dough is a bit sweet and super light and similar to brioche but not as rich. Same night I made the fillings and first thing in morning next day I made the dough and in afternoon I baked nice 9 pies, 3 of each. So good, that it is now on my permanent to bake list.

Top picture shows (left to right) poppy seed filling with almonds, cottage or ricotta cheese with raisins and plum jam with pecan.

Dough

3 c. flour

1 pkg. instant dry yeast

1/3 c. sugar

1 tsp. salt

3/4 c. warm milk

1 egg

1/3 c. butter, melted
Place flour in a large bowl. Make a depression in the center. Add sugar, salt and yeast and mix. In another bowl add warm milk, eggs and melted butter and beat till well combined.  Pour the wet ingredients into flour mix and knead until smooth. Or, put all ingredients in a food processor and run till dough clears the sides of bowl (my option).

Shape the dough into a ball, place in warm greased bowl and let rise for about an hour or till doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375 °F.
Divide or pinch a dough just little bit bigger then egg, shape into a ball and place on buttered cookie sheet, flatten to about 3/8” thick and cover with towel. Let rise 10 minutes. Indent center of each pie leaving a rim about 1/2” wide and top center with filling. Brush edges lightly with melted butter and bake for about 25 – 30 minutes.  When golden brown remove from oven and place on cooling rack to cool. Brush rim with butter while kolaches are still hot.

Cottage Cheese Filling:
1/2 lb. dry cottage cheese
1/4 c. white sugar (more if you like)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg yolk
1/4 c. cooked, drained white raisins
Mix together well so it is spreadable.

Poppy Seed Filling:
1-1/2 c. ground poppy seed
1/3 c. milk
1 Tbs. butter
In a saucepan, bring milk to simmer, add butter and poppy seeds. Slowly simmer till milk is absorbed. Let cool before using.

Prune Filling:
1 c. dried pitted prunes, chopped. Simmer prunes in 1/4 cup of water till soft. Add 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and mix well. Let cool before using.

Ready for second rise.

Fresh from the oven.

Light as a feather.