This festive apple crumb pie recipe has a flaky bottom crust, tightly packed layers of cinnamon-spiced apples, and a golden brown crumble topping that looks impressive but is lightyears easier to make than fiddling with a complicated lattice. Letting the homemade pie dough rest before rolling it out is vital since it ensures even hydration. Allowing it to rest again after fitting it into the pie plate lets the glutens to relax, preventing the pie crust from shrinking while it bakes. Keeping the dough chilled at both stages makes handling easier and practically guarantees flaky layers.
For this recipe, as for our double-crusted deep-dish apple pie, we like using sliced apples in the filling—not chunks or wedges. (If apple cubes are more your vibe, go with our Dutch Apple Pie instead.) Slices melt into each other as they bake, leaving less room for air pockets to develop, which may cause gaps. A mandoline can help. The recipe calls for Granny Smiths, but any tart apple will work (check out our guide to the best apples for making pie).
We’ve kept the crumble topping nut-free, but if you want an extra-crunchy apple pie, toss in a handful of chopped walnuts or pecans (no need to toast them first; they’ll get enough color as the pie bakes). If you notice the top of the pie browning too quickly, loosely tent the pie plate with aluminum foil to finish baking.