The Unexpected Way You Should Be Baking Your Apple Pie

Most recipes for apple pie involve layering a flaky pie crust and sugar-dusted apples and baking them into a delectable treat. If you have proficient kitchen skills, you might easily side-step many common mistakes when baking apple pie – but still, you may be stumped on how to achieve a perfectly-cooked filling without over-baking your crust. Luckily, with the help of a brown paper bag, you can fix this conundrum. 

Instead of baking your pie covered in foil — the usual solution to prevent excess browning — pace your prepared dessert in a brown paper bag and seal it before baking. Surprisingly, this results in an ultra-tender filling and perfectly golden crust. A properly sealed paper bag creates a good amount of steam as the pie bakes, which gently and evenly heats both the interior and exterior of your treat with ease. The trapped juices from the fruit make the pie filling extra soft, and your crust won't burn or become too dark, since it's protected by the bag.

To give this method a try, prepare your filling (try a simple rule to see how many apples you need for a perfect pie), assemble your dessert, and place your pie in the bag on top of a metal baking sheet. Seal all the corners of the bag by tucking them under your pie pan. Now all you need to do is bake it for the time specified in your recipe!

One of the best parts of the paper bag method is that it doesn't require you to constantly check on your pie. However, there are some useful tips that can set you up for success before you go hands-off. When preparing your pie, you may want to consider swapping out the top layer of buttery pie crust for a crumble topping. A traditional double crust will still turn out good, but if you enjoy making fancy lattices or designs, removing the paper bag might compromise the top layer. Using a crumble or streusel topping just makes things a lot easier.

When it comes to the type of bag you use, select one that has ample room to fit your pie inside, with little to no ink or designs printed on it. You can also craft your own makeshift bag with two large pieces of parchment paper. If you're having trouble folding in the corners with precision, seal them with staples or non-coated paper clips. For safety reasons, ensure your brown bag or parchment isn't touching the heating element of your oven.

Once your homemade dessert has baked, remove the pie from the bag to let it cool. If you decide the crust is too light in color, you can put your pie, uncovered, back in the oven for a few additional minutes. Follow Martha Stewart's timing advice for golden brown pie crust and don't rush things — allow it to bake until you're satisfied with its color and texture.