Miso Caramel Apple Pie

Ingredients

• 540 gplain flour
• Pinchsalt
• 13 g (1 tbsp)sugar
• 345 gcold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 240 ml (1 cup)cold water
• 240 g (1 cup)ice
• 60 g (¼ cup)apple cider vinegar
• 300 gsugar
• 135 gunsalted butter, at room temperature
• 180 gdouble cream
• 45 ml (3 tbsp)white miso
• 5 ml (1 tsp)flaky sea salt
• 1.2 kg (2.6 lb)apples, peeled and finely sliced
• Juice of 2lemons
• 40 gplain flour
• 50 graw sugar
• 1 egg whisked with 15 ml (1 tbsp) wateregg wash

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the dough

   Combine the flour, salt and 13 g sugar in a large bowl. Add the cold butter and toss to coat, then quickly work it into the flour with a pastry blender or your fingers until pea-sized pieces remain, keeping a few larger butter lumps.

2. 2

   Add the liquid

   Mix the ice, cold water and cider vinegar in a bowl. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of this mixture over the flour and butter and mix with a stiff spatula or your hands. Add more, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough holds together without becoming wet. Bring it into a cohesive dough with your fingertips.

3. 3

   Chill the pastry

   Divide the dough into a smaller portion and a larger portion, roughly one-third and two-thirds. Shape the smaller piece into a disc and the larger into a rectangle. If desired, roll and letter-fold the dough after an hour of resting. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.

4. 4

   Make the caramel

   Put the 300 g sugar in a medium, heavy-based saucepan. In a small pan, whisk the cream and miso together, warm them, then keep over very low heat. Cook the sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly as it clumps and melts.

5. 5

   Finish the caramel

   Once the sugar is amber, remove the pan from the heat and immediately add all the room-temperature butter; take care, as the caramel will bubble rapidly. Stir until incorporated, add the cream mixture and mix well, then stir in the flaky salt. Pour into a glass jar and leave to cool completely.

6. 6

   Line the dish

   On a lightly floured surface, roll the smaller dough disc into a circle slightly larger than a 9-inch pie dish, about 3 mm thick. Line the dish, leaving an overhang of about 1 inch beyond the edge, and refrigerate while preparing the filling and lattice.

7. 7

   Cut the lattice

   Roll the rectangular dough to about 3 mm thick and cut it into strips about ¾ inch wide. Roll the scraps into a long piece and cut thin strips, then braid them in three-strand plaits for the border. Keep the strips and braids on a baking sheet in the fridge until needed.

8. 8

   Prepare the apples

   Toss the apples with the lemon juice and leave for 5 minutes, then drain off any excess liquid. Add the 40 g flour and 50 g raw sugar and toss to coat. Pack the apple slices tightly into the lined dish, mounding them in the centre, then pour over most of the miso caramel, reserving about ¼ cup for serving.

9. 9

   Weave the top

   Arrange the pastry strips in a lattice, laying the first set horizontally and weaving the other set through at a 45-degree angle. Trim the overhanging pastry and lattice flush with the edge of the dish. If using the braided border, brush the edge with a little egg wash before adding it; pastry cut-outs can cover the joins.

10. 10

    Chill and heat

    Refrigerate the assembled pie for at least 30 minutes. While it chills, preheat the oven to 220°C and place a baking tray on the bottom rack.

11. 11

    Bake the pie

    Brush the pastry with egg wash and sprinkle generously with raw sugar. Bake at 220°C for 20 minutes, or until the pastry is set and beginning to turn golden. Lower the oven to 190°C and continue baking until the pastry is deeply golden and the filling is bubbling.

12. 12

    Cool and serve

    Transfer the pie from the oven to a wire rack and leave it to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature with the reserved miso caramel.

What is miso caramel apple pie?

Apple pie is a familiar American dessert, built around fruit baked inside pastry. This version keeps that classic format but adds miso to the caramel for a savoury edge alongside the apples’ sweetness.

The contrast is what makes it work: tart lemon-seasoned apples sit beneath a rich caramel, while a lattice lets the filling show through and gives the pastry plenty of crisp edges.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 8400 calories, 75g protein, 980g carbs, 480g fat.

Most of the carbohydrates come from the flour, sugar and apples; butter and cream contribute much of the fat, while the egg, flour and miso provide some protein. The listed serving count is 1, so the estimate treats the whole pie as one serving; for a more balanced plate, serve a slice alongside fresh fruit or a lightly dressed salad.

A tender pastry crust

Butter pieces: stop working the pastry when the butter is mostly pea-sized, with a few larger lumps still visible. Those pieces help create a tender, flaky texture rather than a uniformly dense dough.

Cold liquid: add the ice-water mixture gradually, just until the dough holds together. The listed water is the mixture to draw from; the method calls for adding only as much as the flour needs.

Getting the caramel right

Warm cream: heating the cream and miso first makes it easier to stir them into the hot sugar. Keep the mixture on very low heat while the sugar cooks.

Amber sugar: watch the pan closely and stir constantly as the sugar melts. Take it off the heat once amber, then add the butter carefully because the caramel bubbles vigorously.

Prepare the apples

Thin slices: finely sliced apples pack neatly into the pastry shell and cook more evenly than large chunks. Toss them with lemon juice and let them stand for 5 minutes before draining excess liquid.

Flour and sugar: coat the drained apples with both before piling them into the dish. Pack them firmly and mound the filling in the centre, as the fruit will settle during baking.

Build a crisp lattice

Even strips: roll the pastry to about 3 mm thick and cut the main lattice strips roughly ¾ inch wide. Keep them chilled on a baking sheet while you prepare the filling.

Angled weave: lay the first set of strips horizontally and weave the second set through at a 45-degree angle. Trim the pastry flush with the dish before adding the optional braided border.

How to judge doneness

First bake: at 220°C, give the pastry 20 minutes to set and begin turning golden. Lower the oven to 190°C for the rest of the bake.

Finish cues: look for deeply golden pastry and bubbling filling. The recipe gives no fixed duration for the lower-temperature stage, so use those visual cues rather than a set additional time.

Serving the pie

Cooling: let the pie rest on a wire rack after baking; this gives the filling time to settle before slicing. It can be served warm or at room temperature.

Extra caramel: reserve about ¼ cup before filling the pie and serve it alongside. A spoonful of cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream also makes a simple accompaniment.

Recipe notes & tips

• Keep the pastry cool as you work so the butter stays in distinct pieces.
• Add the ice-water mixture gradually; stop as soon as the dough can be pressed together.
• Drain the apples after their 5-minute lemon rest to avoid excess liquid in the pie.
• Warm the cream and miso before adding them to the caramel, and keep them over very low heat.
• Chill the assembled pie for at least 30 minutes before baking to help the pastry hold its shape.
• Place the baking tray on the bottom rack before preheating so it is ready when the pie goes in.

Variations

• Use mixed apples: combine tart and sweet varieties for a more layered fruit flavour.
• Add cinnamon: toss a little ground cinnamon with the apples and flour for a warmer spice note.
• Change the lattice: arrange the strips in a conventional perpendicular weave instead of the angled pattern.
• Skip the braid: leave the edge plain or crimp it with your fingers for a simpler finish.
• Serve with ice cream: add a scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside the warm pie and reserved caramel.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Overworking the pastry: it can turn firm rather than tender; stop when pea-sized butter pieces remain.
• Adding all the liquid at once: the dough may become too wet; add the ice-water mixture a tablespoon at a time.
• Cooking the caramel too far: it can become bitter; remove it from the heat once it reaches amber.
• Adding cold cream: it can make the caramel seize; warm the cream and miso together before combining.
• Leaving excess apple liquid: it can make the base soggy; drain the apples after their 5-minute rest.
• Skipping the final chill: the pastry may lose definition; refrigerate the assembled pie for at least 30 minutes.

How to store

Cover and refrigerate leftover pie for up to 3 days. Reheat slices in a low oven until warmed through, or serve them at room temperature; keep reserved caramel covered in the fridge and warm gently before serving.

Frequently asked questions