Some Bakers Believe The Best Apple Pie Involves a Brown Paper Bag

Sheri Castle
·2 min read

Many aspiring bakers would say that the person who coined the phrase "As easy as apple pie" has clearly never tried to make one. Double crust apple pie, whether the top crust is lattice or solid with slits to release steam, can be tricky. The pastry should be golden brown and flaky. The apples should be tender, but not mushy, and the juices no longer runny. It's a big ask.

Some apple pie experts say that the answer is a simple brown paper bag. Yes, baking a pie in a paper grocery bag can help protect the crust no matter how long it takes for the fruit to turn tender and the juices to reduce and thicken, without the risk of over-baking that can turn the crust dark and tough. Some bakers swear by this technique for all juicy fruit pies that have a long baking time since the filling can take all the time it needs without punishing the crust.

The technique is straightforward.

  1. Prepare your favorite double-crust apple pie recipe in its usual pie plate or tin. All of the tricks you already use for great apple pie, things like the right type of apples, judicious seasoning, reliable thickener, and great pastry still apply.

  2. Open a large brown paper bag and lay it on one side. Slip the pie inside the bag and fold it closed, perhaps securing the folded edge with staples or paperclips. The bag should loosely enclose the pie without touching the sides or compressing the top.

  3. Place the bag on a baking sheet and bake the pie at 375°F for 1 hour.

  4. Remove from the oven and cut a hole in the bag to reveal the top of the pie, so that the top crust can brown. Beware of escaping steam.

  5. Increase the oven temperature to 425°F. Return the pie to the oven, still on the baking sheet, and continue baking until the top crust is golden brown, 8 to 12 minutes more.

Should you have reservations about using a paper grocery bag, some people report similar great results by covering the pie in a triple thickness of parchment paper and tucking the edges securely under the pie plate, approximating the enclosure of a bag.