From the roundup: 24 Apple Dessert Recipes for Fall You Will Want to Bake All Season
This apple cinnamon slab pie is what I make when I need to bring pie to a crowd and I know a standard nine-inch round will disappear in about four minutes. The whole thing bakes on a rimmed sheet pan, slices into 20 neat rectangles, and travels well in the pan. Total time is about an hour and a half, but most of that is the oven doing its job. Your active work is maybe 45 minutes.
The filling is straightforward: five pounds of firm baking apples, a little flour to thicken the juices, and the usual warm spices. The crust is a basic all-butter dough that you roll into rectangles instead of circles, which is honestly less stressful than fitting a round pie shell into a dish. If your rectangle is a little uneven at the edges, you fold and crimp and nobody notices once it comes out golden.
One thing worth knowing before you start: patting the apple slices dry after you toss them in the sugar mixture is not optional. Skip that step and the bottom crust will be soft and pale instead of properly baked. It takes two minutes and it actually matters.
How this ended up on my Thanksgiving table
The first time I made this, it was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and I had already promised three other desserts. I did not have enough pie dishes for a fourth round pie, but I had a sheet pan. I rolled the dough out into rough rectangles, told myself it was rustic, and slid it into the oven next to a tray of dinner rolls. It came out better than any of the round pies I made that year, and my mother-in-law asked for the recipe before she left.
Now I make it every November. I prep the dough the day before and refrigerate it overnight, which means Thanksgiving morning I am just rolling and filling, not also making dough from scratch while someone asks me where the can opener is.
Why you will love this
- Serves 20 from a single sheet pan, which means one recipe covers a full holiday table without making two separate pies
- Slices into rectangles that stack neatly in a carrier or on a platter, no pie server gymnastics required
- Rolling dough into rectangles is more forgiving than fitting it into a round dish, and the edges just get folded and crimped
- The apple-to-crust ratio holds up in every slice, even the corner pieces
- The dough and filling can both be prepped a day ahead, so day-of assembly takes about 20 minutes
Tips for success
- Pat the apple slices dry after tossing them in the sugar mixture. The sugar pulls moisture out of the fruit fast, and if you skip this step, that liquid pools under the bottom crust and you end up with a pale, soft base instead of a baked one.
- Keep your butter cold all the way through dough-making. If your kitchen is warm, cube the butter and put it back in the freezer for 10 minutes before you start. Flat, pea-sized butter pieces in the dough are what give you a flaky crust after baking.
- Use your rolling pin to transfer the dough. Roll the sheet loosely around the pin, carry it over the pan, and unroll it in place. Trying to lift a 20×15 inch sheet of dough by hand is how it tears in the middle.
- If the edges are deep brown before the center is done, lay small strips of foil over just the rim and keep baking. Do not pull the pie early. An underbaked center is harder to fix than a slightly dark edge.
Common questions about slab pie
- Can I use store-bought dough? Yes. Use two boxes of refrigerated pie dough, each with two rounds. Press the rounds together at the seams, then roll into your rectangles. The crust will be a little thinner but it works.
- What if my filling looks watery before it goes in? Pat the apples again with a fresh paper towel. A little moisture is fine, but if there is visible liquid pooling in the bowl, the filling needs more time on the towel.
- Do I need to grease the pan? No. The butter in the bottom crust is enough. A greased pan can actually make the crust slide and lose its shape when you press it in.
- Can I cut it before it cools? You can, but the filling will run. Thirty minutes on the rack gives the juices time to set so you get clean rectangles instead of apple soup.
Substitutions
Store-bought refrigerated pie dough works here if you want to skip the homemade crust. Two standard boxes, each containing two rounds, will give you enough dough for the top and bottom. Press the seams together before rolling. For the apples, Granny Smith gives a tarter filling and holds its shape well; Fuji or Honeycrisp lean sweeter. A mix of two varieties is the best version, in my opinion. If you are out of individual spices, apple pie spice blend can sub in at about two and a half teaspoons total.
If someone at your table avoids refined sugar, you can swap the filling sugar for coconut sugar in the same amount. The filling will be slightly darker and a little less sweet, but it bakes the same way.
Make-ahead and storage
The pie dough can be made up to two days ahead, wrapped tightly, and refrigerated. It also freezes well for up to one month. The apple filling can be mixed and refrigerated overnight in a covered bowl. Just pat the apples dry one more time before assembling, since they will release more liquid as they sit. If you want to assemble the whole unbaked pie in advance, cover it loosely and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, then bake straight from the fridge, adding five minutes to the bake time.
Once baked and cooled, cover the slab pie loosely with foil and store at room temperature for up to two days, or refrigerate for up to four days. To reheat, place individual slices on a baking sheet in a 325 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes. This brings the crust back to something close to fresh-baked. I do not recommend microwaving it if you care about the crust texture. Slices can be wrapped individually and frozen for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven.
Apple Cinnamon Slab Pie
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Make the pie dough. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and 2 teaspoons sugar. Add the cold cubed butter and use a pastry cutter or your fingers to work it in until the mixture looks like rough crumbs with some flat, pea-sized butter pieces remaining. Drizzle in ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork after each addition, until the dough just comes together when you press a handful. You may not need all the water. Divide the dough into two equal portions, flatten each into a rectangle about 1 inch thick, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- While the dough chills, make the filling. Toss the sliced apples in a large bowl with the 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, and lemon juice until evenly coated. Spread the apples on a clean kitchen towel or layers of paper towels and pat them dry for a couple of minutes to pull out excess moisture. This step keeps your bottom crust from getting soggy.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll one dough rectangle out to roughly 20×15 inches, large enough to cover the bottom and come slightly up the sides of your 18×13 inch sheet pan. Carefully transfer it to the ungreased sheet pan by rolling it loosely around your rolling pin and unrolling it over the pan. Press it into the corners and up the sides without stretching it. Trim the overhang to about 1/2 inch around the rim.
- Spread the dried apple filling evenly over the bottom crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Scatter the small pieces of butter over the apples.
- Roll the second dough rectangle to the same 20×15 inch size. Drape it over the filling by rolling it onto your rolling pin and unrolling it across the top. Press the edges of the top and bottom crust together and crimp them by folding the edge under itself and pressing down with a fork or your fingers all the way around. Cut several slits or small vents across the top crust to let steam escape during baking.
- Brush the top crust evenly with the egg wash using a pastry brush, then sprinkle coarse sugar over the entire surface.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the crust is a deep golden brown and you can see the filling bubbling through the vents. If the edges are browning too fast before the center is done, tent those edges loosely with small strips of foil.
- Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to slice into rectangles, about 4 columns by 5 rows for 20 pieces. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
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