Travis Olson, Pastry Chef - Clyde's of Gallery Place
Travis first developed an interest in baking when his family moved to England when he was 12 years old. He couldn't stand the food and would come home from school, read cookbooks and try out recipes. In his first attempt (and success) he made éclairs! Back in the US, Travis continued his training in the Professional Pastry Program at L'Academie de Cuising. He baked at DC Coast and other area restaurants before joining the Georgetown location of Clyde's three years ago. Travis opened Clyde's of Gallery Place in 2005 as the Pastry Chef. Both Travis and the Clyde's Group have been long time supporters of area farmers' markets.
Travis Olson’s Big Double Crust Apple Pie
Yields Two 10” Pies
This is the recipe to use when you have really good apples. I usually use just one variety at a time, but feel free to mix it up. Pick a firm variety that has got a complex flavor. Even a little bitterness or astringency in the raw apple can be good in a pie; these flavors complement the sweetness that develops during baking. I don’t use much sugar or spice and there is no extra butter added to the apples, so the quality of the apples really comes through. It’s silly to make less than two pies. It’s not that much more work to make two pies than just one. An extra apple pie is always welcome!
The Crust
1# 8oz all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp salt
8oz butter, cold (2 sticks)
6oz shortening or lard
¾ cup + 2 Tbsp cold water
Slice the butter sticks into squares about the width of a pencil. Put them in a mixing bowl with the flour and salt.
Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter or two knives or the paddle attachment of your stand mixer. It’s ready when the butter is in pieces the size of dried beans.
Now stop mixing and add the shortening or lard. Mix it in by rubbing it between your fingertips. Leave it in pieces just like the butter.
Next you need to slowly add the water and stir it in with your hands to distribute it evenly without over mixing the dough, which can make it tough. As soon as it comes together as a shaggy ball, divide it into four equal pieces and form them into fat disks.
Chill the dough for at least an hour, although I like to let it sit overnight.
Get the disks pliable again by gently flattening them with your hands. If you see any cracks opening opening around the edges, squish them back together or they will give you problems later. Use a rolling pin and a flour dusted surface to roll out the disks very carefully into large circles, maybe a foot across or even a little more. The trick is to constantly reposition and rotate the dough after every pass with the pin. Don’t try to flatten it with too much force! If the dough gets warm and sticky, chill it a few minutes. There is no need to trim the circles yet. Line two ten inch pie pans with two of the circles, saving the other two for the tops of the pies. There should be at least 3/4" of an inch of dough hanging over the sides of the pie pan. Keep the dough cold while you prepare the filling.
The Pie 6# fresh whole apples
¾ cup light brown sugar
6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Milk, Demerara sugar and granulated sugar, for the top crust
Preheat the oven to 375*F.
Peel and core the apples. Then slice them into ½ inch slices or 1 inch cubes, whichever you fancy. Thick-cut apples make a toothsome pie!
Toss the apples with the remaining ingredients.
Take out your chilled, rolled pie dough.
Divide the apple filling between the two dough-lined pie pans. These pies are supposed to be big and impressive! Keep stacking those apples on, you can get them all in, I promise!
Next is the fun part… See the dough you left hanging over the sides of the pans? Brush it with a little water. Now, carefully transfer the top crusts over the huge mound of apples. Did you roll it out big enough? Maybe you need to roll it a little more so you can cover the filling…. If your circles aren't the right shape you might have to take some of the filling out to make the pie, but try to avoid this. Now gently seal the bottom and top edges together. You should crimp them in an attractive way. An easy way is to roll the edge up and crimp it with a fork. Be careful not to poke any holes through the dough or let the apples poke through themselves.
Next, brush the top with milk and sprinkle it with Demerara sugar, then with granulated sugar. This makes the top crust, glazed and crunchy. Be generous! Don't forget to cut vent holes in the top crust so the steam can escape and the pies don't blow open. I usually make eight ½ inch long slits around the midsection of each pie.
Now put your pies in the preheated oven! They will need to bake for at least an hour, probably more. Rotate the pies halfway through baking. They are done when the crusts are very nicely browned and the apples are tender and juicy. Poke a skewer through a vent hole to see how the apples are coming along.
The next step is the hardest! You have to wait for the pies to cool! Pie is good at any temperature, but I think they are best when they have just an ounce of heat left in them. I never refrigerate apple pie if I can help it. They are much happier to rest, covered in a cool place for a day or so. These pies usually don't last that long anyhow!
Good Luck and Happy Baking! - Travis Olson
Clyde's of Gallery Place is located at 707 7th Street, NW, D.C. Phone: 202-349-3700. Web: www.clydes.com
Travis Olson, Pastry Chef - Clyde's of Gallery Place
Travis first developed an interest in baking when his family moved to England when he was 12 years old. He couldn't stand the food and would come home from school, read cookbooks and try out recipes. In his first attempt (and success) he made éclairs! Back in the US, Travis continued his training in the Professional Pastry Program at L'Academie de Cuising. He baked at DC Coast and other area restaurants before joining the Georgetown location of Clyde's three years ago. Travis opened Clyde's of Gallery Place in 2005 as the Pastry Chef. Both Travis and the Clyde's Group have been long time supporters of area farmers' markets.
