Sunday Supper: Lard-Crust Apple Pie

There is a morning every November when you step onto the porch and fall has finally made up its mind to stick around. The leaves still clinging to the trees are vibrant, frost glimmers on blades of grass struggling to hang on, and the light fades before supper. Somewhere down the road, someone has a woodstove going for the cooler evenings, and the whole hollow smells like it.

Small-town fall has its own rhythm, and November is when it slows down. The pumpkins have gone to the compost pile, the rush of the early season is over, and Thanksgiving is coming up on the calendar. Neighbors stop to talk longer than they planned because the cold gives them a reason to be in no hurry. Through all of it, the one dessert that shows up at every church supper, family gathering, and holiday table is apple pie.

This week, the Larder is making it the old-fashioned way, with a lard crust and a simple, spiced apple filling. It is a good one to practice now, before the holiday baking begins.

Why Lard?

Plenty of home bakers reach for butter or vegetable shortening, and either will make a perfectly good crust. But for generations, the pie bakers who set the standard in Southern kitchens used lard, and there is a reason it never went out of style.

Lard makes a crust that is light, tender, and flaky. It has a different fat structure than butter or shortening, and it holds up beautifully in a hot oven, creating the thin, crisp layers that shatter under a fork. It also lets you handle the dough without worrying that it will turn greasy or sticky as it warms.

If you can find good-quality lard, use it. If you can't, vegetable shortening is an acceptable substitute, and the recipe works either way. But if you've never baked with lard, this is a good pie to try it on. Personally, I render my own lard, but you can find it at Woodard's Market!

The Apple Question

A good pie starts at the market. Not every apple holds up in a 450-degree oven, and the wrong one can turn to mush by the time the crust is golden. Look for apples that are firm, with enough tartness to balance the sugar:

• Granny Smith: Tart and sturdy, the classic pie apple. It keeps its shape and gives the filling its backbone.

• Honeycrisp: Sweet-tart and crisp, with structure that holds up in the oven.

• Braeburn: A little spicier and more complex, and it bakes up beautifully.

Many bakers mix two varieties, one tart and one sweeter, for a filling with more depth. Peel the apples and slice them evenly so they cook at the same rate.

A Few Things Worth Getting Right

Pie crust is not difficult, but it is particular. A few details make the difference:

Keep everything cold. The lard should be cold, and the water should be ice-cold. Cold fat is what creates flaky layers. If the dough gets warm and soft while you work, put it back in the refrigerator for a few minutes.

Add the water gradually. The recipe gives a range of 7 to 12 tablespoons because flour, weather, and kitchen humidity all affect how much water the dough needs. Add it a little at a time, just until the dough binds together and can form a ball. Too much water makes a tough crust.

Chill the dough. Thirty minutes in the refrigerator relaxes the gluten and firms the fat, so the dough rolls out easily and bakes up flaky. This is a good time to slice the apples.

Protect the edges. The crust edges brown faster than the rest of the pie. A strip of foil or a pie crust protector keeps them golden instead of dark.

Be patient at the end. A pie sliced straight from the oven will run all over the plate. Letting it cool allows the filling to set so each slice holds together.

Get a Head Start on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving week is not the time to be rolling out pie dough. The turkey needs the oven, the kitchen is crowded, and everyone has an opinion about where the dishes go. The good news is that pie dough is one of the best make-ahead items in the kitchen, and a lard crust is especially forgiving.

Here is how to get ahead:

• Refrigerate for a few days. Prepare the dough as directed, divide it into two even sections, shape each into a flat disc, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. It will keep in the refrigerator for two to three days. Let it sit on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes before rolling so it doesn't crack.

• Freeze for longer. Wrap each disc well in plastic, then place it in a freezer bag. Frozen dough keeps for up to three months. Move it to the refrigerator the night before you plan to bake and let it thaw slowly.

• Roll first, if you like. You can roll out the crusts, line the pie pan with the bottom crust, and refrigerate it, covered, until baking day. This saves the most time when the kitchen is busiest.

• Make the filling fresh. Slice the apples the day you bake. Cut apples brown and release moisture the longer they sit, and that is how you end up with a soggy bottom crust.

Since the recipe divides the dough into two even sections, one batch gives you a top and a bottom crust, which makes this an easy project for a quiet Sunday in November. Make several batches, stack the discs in the freezer, and Thanksgiving baking will seem like a breeze.

One for You, One for a Neighbor

Here is the best reason to keep dough on hand: A pie is one of the nicest things you can give someone.

Bake one for the neighbor who brought in your trash cans last week, or the friend who is having a hard month. Bake one for the widow down the road who hasn't had a homemade dessert in a while, or the new family who just moved in and doesn't know anyone yet. Bake one for the person who is hosting Thanksgiving, who will be grateful for one less thing to make. Or bake one for no reason at all, because it's a cold Tuesday and the oven is already warm.

A few tips for sharing:

• Bake it in a disposable foil pie pan so nobody has to worry about returning your dish.

• Let it cool completely before wrapping, then cover with foil or plastic wrap.

• Tape a note to the top with the baking date. Include a line suggesting it be eaten within a couple of days, and a reminder that it's good warmed up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

• Deliver it with a short visit. In a small town, the pie is only half the gift. The conversation on the porch is the other half.

A double batch of dough and a free afternoon get you two pies, one for your table and one for someone else's.

Lard-Crust Apple Pie

• Prep time: 20 minutes
• Bake time: 45 to 50 minutes
• Serves: 8

Pie Crust Ingredients

• 3 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 t. salt
• 1¼ c. lard (or butter or vegetable shortening)
• 7 to 12 T. ice-cold water

Pie Filling Ingredients
• 6 c. peeled and sliced apples
• ⅔ c. granulated sugar
• 1 t. ground cinnamon
• ⅛ t. ground nutmeg
• 2 T. unsalted butter, cut into four or five pieces
• ¼ t. ground cardamom (optional, but adds a special touch to the pie!)

Note: To make a deep-dish pie, double the filling ingredients and roll out the bottom crust to a 12- to 13-inch diameter.

Directions

• Place the top oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

• To prepare the pie crust, add the flour, salt, and lard to a large bowl and mix with a hand mixer. Gradually add the ice-cold water until the dough binds together and can form a ball. Place in the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.

• Meanwhile, add the sliced apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom (if using) to a large bowl and toss gently to combine.

• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide it into two even sections. Roll out each piece to a 10- to 11-inch diameter for a 9-inch pie.

• Line a 9-inch pie pan with one of the crusts. Transfer the apple filling to the pie crust.

• Place the top crust over the pie and crimp the edges together. Cut four or five vents into the top crust with a sharp knife and place a small piece of butter in each. Cover the edges with foil or a pie crust protector to prevent overbrowning.

• Bake for 10 minutes at 450. Reduce the temperature to 350 and continue baking for another 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool before slicing and serving.

Fall at the Sunday Table

This is the season when the table slows down. The quick suppers and cold salads of summer, and the game-day snacks that came after, have given way to dinners that last a little longer and dishes that need the oven. A pie fits that change. It goes in while the roast is resting, fills the house with cinnamon, and gives everyone a reason to stay seated.

Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a slice of sharp cheddar on the side, which many Southern cooks swear by. Pour a cup of coffee or a glass of cider and let the afternoon take its time.

If you plan to bring a pie to the family table this month, bake this one on a quiet Sunday first. You'll know how your oven behaves and how the lard crust handles. Then keep a few discs of dough in the freezer so that when Thanksgiving week arrives, the hard part is already done.

In a small town, a pie is rarely just dessert. It is what you carry to a neighbor, bring to the church supper, or set on the table when someone has had a hard week. The cold is here, and the oven is warm. Let's get to baking, Moore County!