In the case of tenting desserts, this Dutch apple pie cannot be beat! With a flaky buttery crust and a gentle child apple filling, with this recipe, you may benefit from the style of home made apple pie baked proper at your campsite.
Making apple pie from scratch at camp in a Dutch oven is by far essentially the most bold recipe we have ever developed for contemporary off the grid. it is also, palms down, one of the crucial epic tenting desserts we have ever skilled. make this in your subsequent tenting journey and you will be hailed as a culinary genius for years to return.
Now we’ll be trustworthy with you: there’s nothing “fast and simple” about this recipe. to place it mildly, this recipe is, nicely, concerned. For those who simply need to get pleasure from apple pie with out a variety of effort and time, there is not any disgrace in shopping for a pie on the retailer and heating it up in a Dutch oven.
however in the event you’re in it for the problem, the glory and the exhilaration of with the ability to inform folks you baked an apple pie from scratch at camp, then we’re with you all the best way you are ours type of loopy. and we developed this recipe that will help you obtain camp kitchen greatness.
Particular gear is required for this recipe, which we’ll cowl subsequent. a fundamental understanding of how a dutch oven works will certainly come in useful as nicely. Aside from that, we’re able to rock and roll. so let’s get to it!
Dutch Oven Apple Pie Components
Whereas this recipe generally is a bit difficult, the components are usually not! in reality, this apple pie solely makes use of a handful of components:
apples: For all of our checks we used pink woman apples. they’ve an excellent stability of candy, crunchy, and tart that holds up nicely when baked. you may also attempt honeycrisp, granny smith, braeburn, jazz or jonagold. Simply keep away from overly candy apples (Crimson Scrumptious, Fuji, Envy, Candy Tango), which is able to principally flip to applesauce when cooked.
Butter: We use unsalted butter on this recipe. if utilizing salted butter, omit the salt within the crust dough.
flour: nothing particular right here, we developed this recipe utilizing white flour.
sugar: granulated cane sugar.
Cinnamon: Does lots to ship that basic apple pie taste.
Cornstarch: The cornstarch will assist bind the juices from the apples into a pleasant, syrupy filling.
Egg: A crushed egg brushed excessive of the crust will produce an exquisite golden brown pie as soon as baked.
important instruments
Fridge: A cooler is important for this recipe to work. the dough have to be chilly earlier than rolling it out. not nice not type of chilly. actually chilly. now we have an electrical fridge in our motorhome which is what we use. We even have a Yeti Tundra 35 cooler. If utilizing an ice cooler, seal it in a water-proof container so the batter stays dry.
10” Dutch Oven: The ingredient ratios for this recipe have been developed for a ten-inch Dutch oven. we suggest a “tenting dutch oven” which has little ft on the underside that elevate the oven above the coals, and a flat lid with a ridge to carry the coals on prime. don’t use your enamel-lined Dutch oven at residence on a campfire – excessive warmth can harm the coating.
Lid Lifter: A lid lifter permits you to safely take away the lid to test the progress of your cake. if you do not have one, warmth resistant gloves can even work.
Parchment Paper – Lining your Dutch oven with parchment paper makes cleanup simple! it additionally helps you get the cake out of the dutch oven. You should buy pre-made dutch oven liners, however they’re very simple to make your self.
Chimney Starter: You can be utilizing a variety of coals for this recipe, and utilizing a chimney starter will assist them burn sooner. we love this one which folds flat for straightforward storage in our gear bin.
flat steel skewers: Putting steel kebab skewers over the Dutch oven so the lid rests on it’ll create a vent to permit steam to launch, so your pie will brown (not soaked!)
“curler”: We did not camp with a curler, however discovered {that a} clean-sided wine bottle or water bottle works nicely!
Silicone brush: That is the proper instrument for brushing your egg wash. It is also nice for marinades, so it is value selecting one.
make Dutch Oven Apple Pie
at residence
Whereas this recipe could be made completely at camp, making the dough at residence will save time and scale back cleanup.
at residence, combine dry components in a medium bowl till nicely mixed.
Take a chilly stick of butter out of the fridge and, utilizing a chef’s knife, lower it into ½-inch cubes (fig. 1). Add the butter cubes to the dry components and unfold them into the flour along with your thumb and forefinger. you are seeking to flip your butter cubes into fantastic flecks and distinct shards that mix into the flour. as soon as the butter has been included and the flour appears to crumble, it is time to add the water (fig. 2). Begin by including 5 tablespoons of ice water, one tablespoon at a time. between every spoonful work the flour a bit of along with your hand to see the way it absorbs the liquid. one hand for the dough, one hand for the water. after 5 tablespoons, the dough ought to begin to come collectively right into a moist however not sticky ball.
If it appears dry and there’s nonetheless a variety of unfastened flour floating round, proceed including ice water a tablespoon at a time till the dough reaches the proper texture.
On a evenly floured slicing board, flatten the dough right into a disk about 6″ in diameter. Utilizing a chef’s knife, lower the disk into 4 items. Stack the items on prime of one another, then press down to mix them again right into a single ball (fig. 3) repeat this course of 2-3 occasions this stacking course of creates layers of butter within the dough leading to a lightweight, flaky crust.
Form the dough right into a flat disk, wrap it in honeycomb paper or place it inside an hermetic resealable container, and instantly place it within the fridge (fig. 4). When packing on your tenting journey, this dough goes instantly out of your fridge to any prepared chilly transportable cooler or to an already chilly cooler.
within the camp
Our greatest tip for making camp apple pie is to start out early! together with prep time, prepare dinner time, and chill time, all the method can take nicely over two hours. not every little thing is lively, however nonetheless, it takes time. desserts want time to chill anyway, so there is not any hurt in beginning sooner fairly than later.
As with most Dutch oven recipes, step one is to mild the charcoal. there are numerous issues to do and ready for the coals to be prepared isn’t one in every of them.
For this recipe, we used hardwood charcoal that we lit in a folding fire. The jury continues to be out on whether or not we favor lumps or briquettes, however we undoubtedly went with all-pure charcoal (i.e., not soaked in lighter fluid). this recipe would require a number of batches of coals to finish, so be sure to have loads readily available.
make the filling
Whereas the coals are heating up, you may start to peel, core, and slice the apples. you’re searching for apple slices between ⅛” and ¼” inch thick. place slices in a big mixing bowl or inventory pot. add sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch and blend nicely. we discovered the very best method is to only help and ensure every little thing is evenly lined.
getting ready the dutch oven
the embers most likely aren’t prepared but, which is okay, as a result of there’s extra work to do. take the lid of your dutch oven and place it on prime of a sheet of parchment paper to kind a stencil. Utilizing a pair of scissors, lower out a circle that’s about 2 inches bigger than your lid.
Subsequent, lower an extended piece of parchment paper and fold it throughout a number of occasions to make a skinny strip. Create two of those straps and place them in a cross sample alongside the underside of your Dutch oven. they need to prolong down the facet of your Dutch oven and go virtually to the highest. place the round piece of parchment paper on prime of the straps. the parchment paper will hold the cake from sticking to the forged iron, whereas the straps will enable you (and a accomplice) carry the cake out of the Dutch oven as soon as it is performed. you may make all this parchment paper arts & Craft challenge at residence forward of time too.
make the crust
at this level, it is time to begin rolling out the dough. Calmly flour a big slicing board and take away the dough from the chiller/fridge. lower ⅔ off the disk and return the additional ⅓ to the fridge. you’ll use the ⅔ portion for the underside and the ⅓ portion for the highest. Form the dough right into a disk in your palms, permitting it to heat barely. Place the puck on the slicing board, and utilizing a rolling pin, hydroflask, or wine bottle, faucet the puck just a few occasions, flip it 1 / 4 flip, and faucet it once more just a few occasions. (fig 1) do a full rotation like this till the disk is compressed, round, and barely expanded. then begin rolling the dough. do not attempt to apply an excessive amount of stress on a single roll. apply essentially the most stress within the heart and launch as you roll to the perimeters. after every roll, rotate the dough a bit, so that you’re spreading it out evenly. (fig. 2)if the dough sticks to the pin, take away it from the pin, sprinkle a bit of flour over the dough and rub the flour over the pin. the identical goes for the slicing board. if it sticks, take away it, discard the dough caught to the board, and sprinkle a bit of extra flour.
As soon as the dough is about 2 inches bigger than the underside of your Dutch oven (or concerning the measurement of the parchment paper you narrow out), it is prepared. if the dough appears notably rectangular in some areas, use a knife to chop it right into a extra excellent circle. place the rolling pin at one finish, maintain the sting in opposition to the pin, and slowly roll the dough (so it wraps across the pin). then unroll it over your Dutch oven. (determine 3)
The dough will want some adjustment to get it centered on the parchment paper. Additionally, as a result of a Dutch oven has straight partitions, the perimeters will droop towards the middle. Alright. we’ll cope with that in a second.
assemble the cake
at this level, your apple slices ought to have launched some juices. you need to use a slotted spoon or simply seize them along with your full tongs. the purpose is to move the least quantity of liquid to your cake. if you load your apple pie, begin by making a hoop across the periphery. use the apples to assist carry the perimeters of the dough. as soon as the dough is supported all the best way round, fill the middle. you need the apple slices to lie comparatively flat. no bizarre humps on one facet or apple ideas protruding. you are searching for a pleasant, largely flat, layer on prime. (determine 1)
now, retrieve the remaining ⅓ of the dough portion from the fridge/freezer. roll it out the identical as earlier than, however solely to the precise measurement of the dutch oven. this would be the prime of the crust. you need to use the cap as a reference.
as soon as prepared, roll this dough onto the rolling pin and unroll it excessive of the cake. (fig. 2) once more, some slight adjustment could also be required when you get it there to get it centered.
now you may convey the highest and backside dough collectively to kind a stamp. you will get your palms a bit of moist if the dough would not stick. you desire a good seal throughout to stop a burst and obtain a flaky crust.
In a small bowl, beat one egg till totally blended. brush egg over prime of cake. this egg wash will produce a lightweight, golden crust. use a knife to chop 4 slices into your dough to permit steam to flee. (determine 3)
bake the cakeat this level, your coals must be prepared to make use of. Pour a layer on the bottom and place your Dutch oven on prime. Place two flat steel skewers on prime of the Dutch oven, after which place the Dutch oven lid on prime. these steel skewers create a spot across the backside of the lid, permitting steam to flee out the facet. you need the warmth contained in the dutch oven to be as dry as attainable, so the cake will crisp up. (fig. 1)place remaining coals on Dutch oven lid, favoring periphery over heart. the middle tends to brown sooner, so that you need to focus the warmth towards the perimeters to even it out. (determine 2)
instantly begin a brand new batch of coals. we reserved some coals from the primary batch to make use of as starters for our second batch. Periodically test the temperature of the charcoal by passing your hand over it. in order for you to have the ability to maintain your hand there for two-3 seconds however no extra. flip the oven over to the decrease coals and switch the lid containing the higher coals to even out any unintentional sizzling spots.
For those who really feel the warmth beginning to drop on the prime or backside, prime up with contemporary charcoal. (fig. 3)This complete course of ought to take about an hour. You need to have the ability to see inside by means of the air hole of the steel skewer and monitor your progress with out eradicating the lid (and releasing treasured warmth). as soon as the highest seems to be golden brown, take away the Dutch oven from the warmth.
serve & get pleasure from!if in case you have a variety of further time, you may let the cake cool within the Dutch oven with out the lid. if you wish to velocity up the cooling time, take away the cake from the Dutch oven and funky on a plate or slicing board.
Getting the cake out of the Dutch oven is a two-particular person operation. every particular person grabs two of the scroll straps and lifts them up collectively. she is likely to be tempted to eat instantly, however the apple pie must relaxation. ideally at room temperature. this cooling course of companies the filling, so it would not spill everywhere in the plate. We all know, it is a lengthy and onerous wait, nevertheless it must be performed! Lastly, as soon as the cake has cooled correctly, it is time to pour your self a drink, pat your self on the again, and assist your self to a slice. in the event you acquired thus far, you undoubtedly earned this cake. congratulations!
ideas & methods
- the dough could be made forward of time at residence (as much as 4 days earlier than your journey), then wrapped tightly and saved in your fridge/freezer the place it’ll keep dry .
- To actually make your life simpler, this recipe could be made with a retailer-purchased crust. no judgment right here; Typically you need to have the ability to get pleasure from your campfire with out worrying about making dough from scratch! Put down the curler, let pillsbury do the work and have a pleasant cocktail as an alternative.
- the important thing to a flaky, tender crust is hand-smearing small items of chilly butter into the dry components.
- which apples are good for apple pie? The finest apples for apple pie are these which can be barely tart, candy and maintain their form when cooked. we love pink woman apples, however honeycrisp, granny smith, braeburn, jazz, and jonagold are good selections. use your favourite or combine just a few varieties collectively.
- permit the pie to chill earlier than serving so the filling has an opportunity to set, in any other case you may find yourself with a soggy pie in your plate. Ideally, you’d take away the cake from the campfire earlier than sitting right down to dinner, and if you’re performed, the cake is prepared.
- serve this apple pie plain or with a dollop of whipped cream. in the event you’re tenting with an electrical fridge/freezer or someplace close to a city, a scoop of ice cream on the facet could be a plus. actual pleasure.
Extra Camping Dessert Recipes You will Love
↠ Dutch Oven Apple Pie ↠ Campfire Simple Apple Crisp ↠ Grilled Peaches with Yogurt ↠ Plum Pie ↠ Campfire Banana Boats
