Classic Apple Pie

Yes—make the dough disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw a frozen disk in the refrigerator overnight, or at room temperature for 30 minutes until pliable but still cold.

Use a mix of tart (Granny Smith) and sweet (Honeycrisp, Gala, or Fuji) apples in roughly equal quantities. Tart apples hold their shape and cut acidic sweetness; sweet apples add flavor and fill gaps created when tart apples shrink. Avoid Red Delicious and McIntosh, which turn mushy.

You overmixed or overworked the dough. Mix until the dough just comes together—visible butter pieces are good and create flakiness. Stop as soon as it holds together. Overworking develops gluten and makes the crust chewy, not tender.

Yes, double the filling ingredients and use a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Increase baking time to 65 to 75 minutes. Check the crust color at 40 minutes; cover with foil if it is browning too fast.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat an unwrapped slice at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes until warm, or serve cold. You can freeze unbaked assembled pie (wrapped tightly) for up to 3 months; bake from frozen at 375°F, adding 15 to 20 minutes to the baking time.

The pie did not cool long enough, or you used watery apples or added extra liquid to the filling. Cool the pie for at least 3 hours at room temperature, then 2 more hours in the refrigerator before slicing. Next time, do not drain the apples—the flour in the filling will thicken the juice as it bakes.