Polish Apple Pie (V) from Wojtek’s Bistro
“You can’t get more Polish than this apple pie, and most Polish children learn to bake by making it as their very first bake. It was mine too, though my actual first culinary experiment was mixing cement and egg yolks at my grandfather’s garage! The key to achieving the best result is using the right apples. You want tart varieties for acidity and firm ones that hold their shape when baked, so mixing two or three types is the solution.” Wojtek van Portek, author of Wojtek’s Bistro
Serves 6-8
200g (7oz) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, plus extra for greasing
2 eggs
400g (14oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
¼ teaspoon fine salt
2 tablespoons soured cream or crème fraîche
100g (3½oz) caster sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
icing sugar, for dusting
Chantilly Cream (see page 165) or vanilla ice cream, to serve (optional)
For the apples
1.3kg (3lb) tart apples – a mix of Braeburn, Granny Smith and Golden Delicious
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, plus extra (optional) for sprinkling
Put all the main ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until sandy, then turn out onto a work surface and knead until it comes together into a dough.
Divide the dough into 2 pieces, one just slightly larger than the other, and shape each into a log. Wrap each piece in nonstick baking paper and place in the freezer for at least 1 hour. (The recipe can be prepared up to this point one day in advance.)
When you’re ready to cook the pie, remove the dough from the freezer, then preheat the oven to 180°C, 160°C fan (350°F), Gas Mark 4. Grease a 23cm (9 inch) round springform tin and dust with flour.
Peel, quarter and core the apples. Using a mandoline, carefully slice the apple pieces thinly into a bowl. Add the sugar, vanilla and cinnamon and toss together gently. Set aside.
Cut the larger dough piece into slices about 5mm (¼ inch) thick, arrange them over the base of the tin and press down to seal the seams and create an even base layer of dough. Arrange the apple slices over the dough base, distributing them evenly up to the edges.
Using the largest holes of a box grater, grate the smaller dough piece over the apples to cover completely. At this point your tin may be close to overflowing, but the apples and dough settle in cooking, so continue grating as high as possible.
Bake for 40 minutes, then check and cover the top with foil if it’s browning too quickly before baking for another 20–25 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool before releasing from the tin. Serve at room temperature, dusted with icing sugar, with Chantilly Cream sprinkled with cinnamon or vanilla ice cream if desired.
