Double-Crust Apple Pie

From the garden

• 3 lb firm baking apples, peeled, cored, sliced 1/4 inch thick · about 8 medium; a mix of one tart and one sweet variety beats any single kind

From the pantry

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour · for the pastry, plus more for rolling
• 1 cup butter, cold, cut into cubes · for the pastry; keep it in the freezer until the moment it goes into the flour
• ¾ cup granulated sugar · for the filling, plus 1 tablespoon for the top
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg · freshly grated if you have a whole one
• 3 tbsp cornstarch · or 1/4 cup flour if that is what you keep
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced · about 2 tablespoons juice
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water · for the crust wash
• 1 tsp salt · 3/4 teaspoon in the pastry, 1/4 teaspoon in the filling

1. Whisk the flour with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, then cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until the largest pieces are the size of peas and a few are flattened into coins.
2. Sprinkle in 6 to 8 tablespoons of ice water a spoonful at a time, tossing with a fork, until the dough holds together when squeezed. Divide into two discs, wrap, and chill at least 1 hour.
3. Toss the sliced apples with the lemon zest and juice, the spiced filling sugar, the cornstarch, and the remaining salt. Let stand 15 minutes while the oven heats to 425°F with a rack in the lower third.
4. Roll one disc into a 12-inch round and line a 9-inch pie plate. Pile in the apples, doming them high, since they settle by a third. Roll the second disc, lay it over, trim, crimp the rim, and cut four steam vents.
5. Brush the top with the egg wash, scatter over the tablespoon of sugar, and bake 20 minutes at 425°F. Lower the oven to 375°F and bake 40–50 minutes more, until the vents show thick, slow bubbles.
6. Cool at least 4 hours before cutting. The filling is still liquid while it is hot, and a pie cut warm runs across the plate instead of standing up in a wedge.