Some holidays are made up. National Pie Day? Feels pretty legit. It’s the perfect excuse to slow down, warm up the kitchen, and pull together something from scratch that’s actually worth sharing.
This is the pie we come back to again and again. The crust is flaky but holds, the filling isn’t too sweet, and you don’t need a pastry degree to get it right. Just good ingredients, basic steps, and a few tools that make your life easier.
What you’ll need
For the crust:
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2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
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1 tsp salt
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1 tbsp sugar
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1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
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6–8 tbsp ice water
For the filling (apple version):
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6–8 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
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⅓ cup sugar
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2 tbsp brown sugar
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1 tbsp lemon juice
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1 tsp cinnamon
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¼ tsp nutmeg
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2 tbsp flour or cornstarch
Step 1: Make your crust
Combine flour, salt, and sugar. Cut in the cold butter with a knife or pastry cutter until it looks crumbly. Add ice water, 1 tbsp at a time, mixing just until it holds. Don’t overdo it. Divide in two, wrap, and chill for at least an hour.
Pro tip: A sharp, well-balanced knife like the Onyx II Petty Knife makes cubing butter way less annoying. And it’ll come in handy when prepping fruit later.
Step 2: Prep your filling
Peel and slice your apples evenly. Toss them with sugar, lemon, spices, and thickener. Let them sit while you roll out your crust so the flavors settle in.
Step 3: Roll and fill
Roll one crust and lay it into a pie pan. Fill it with the apple mixture. Add the top crust—lattice or full, up to you. Seal the edges and cut a few vents if you're going solid. Chill the whole thing for 15 minutes.
Step 4: Bake
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce to 375°F and bake for another 35–40, until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling. Let it cool so it slices clean.
Step 5: Slice it right
Here’s where most pies fall apart. Use a blade that’s sharp enough to glide through without crushing the crust. The Kuro Bunka is surprisingly great for this—it’s short, precise, and strong.
Bonus: Go savory next time
Same crust, different filling. Think mushroom and gruyère, or chicken and leeks. Tools like the Kaiju 7" Bunka can make veggie prep way faster when you’re working with dense ingredients.
In the end
Pie’s not about perfection. It’s about taking a moment to make something that tastes like effort. And when you’ve got the right gear in your hands, it doesn’t have to feel like a project.
Bookmark this one for whenever you want to bake without the stress—and maybe win a little bragging rights on the side.
