Yeast Apple Pie (Oven)
Fluffy and festive, with fragrant apples! Open apple pie is one version of homemade yeast baking. Tender, rich dough with a juicy apple filling. Get creative and decorate it any way you like - every tea time will feel warm and cozy!
Updated : 17 February, 2026
Easy
More than 1 hour.
Ingredients
Dough
2
Eggs
60 grams
Sugar
6 grams
Dry yeast
0.5 teaspoon
Salt
75 grams
Butter
200 milliliters
Milk
1 tablespoon
Vanilla sugar
1 teaspoon
Vegetable oil
490 grams
Wheat flour
Filling
3
Apple
3 tablespoon
Sugar
40 grams
Butter
0.75 teaspoon
Ground cinnamon
Brushing
0.5
Eggs
1 dessertspoon
Milk
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
How to bake yeast apple pie? Prepare the ingredients. They should be at room temperature. Warm the milk slightly so the dough rises faster. Use high-grade wheat flour; it’s best for enriched yeast dough because of its gluten content.
Step 2
Activate the yeast first. In a small bowl with high sides, combine the yeast, 1 tsp sugar, and 50 ml (about 3 tbsp + 1 tsp) warm milk. Mix well. Leave for 10-15 minutes until a foamy “cap” forms. If the foam doesn’t appear or rises weakly and slowly, the yeast isn’t active enough and it’s better to replace it - otherwise the dough may fail and you’ll waste time and effort.
Step 3
Melt the butter over low heat (or in the microwave). Let it cool.
Step 4
Sift the flour through a sieve into a large, wide bowl so it doesn’t spill. Sifting adds oxygen to the flour, helping the dough rise and turn out fluffy and airy.
Step 5
Choose a suitable bowl for mixing the dough. Whisk the eggs until smooth. You can use a whisk or a fork; a mixer isn’t needed.
Step 6
Add sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt to the beaten eggs. Whisk again until the dry ingredients partially dissolve.
Step 7
Pour in the yeast mixture and stir with a spoon.
Step 8
Add the remaining 150 ml (about 2/3 cup) warm milk and mix.
Step 9
Pour in the melted butter and mix. The butter must not be hot; slightly warm is fine - otherwise it will affect the yeast.
Step 10
Add the sifted flour to the liquid mixture. You can add it through a sieve again to sift twice. Don’t add all the flour at once so the dough doesn’t become stiff and heavy. Add about 3/4 of the total first and stir with a spoon.
Step 11
The dough will still be very sticky.
Step 12
Then add flour in small portions, mixing the dough with your hands each time and watching the thickness.
Step 13
The dough should be soft, pliable, and smooth. It should barely stick to your hands. Shape it into a ball, cover with a towel so it doesn’t dry out, and leave in a warm place to rise.
Step 14
While the dough rises, prepare the filling. Use large apples; if they’re small, increase the quantity.
Step 15
Melt butter in a wide skillet.
Step 16
Add sugar and stir. Adjust the amount of sugar to your taste and the sweetness of the apples.
Step 17
Over medium heat, stirring often, bring the sweet butter mixture to a light caramel color.
Step 18
Wash the apples, peel them, and remove the cores. Cut the apples as you like - into not-too-thin slices or cubes.
Step 19
Add the prepared apples to the skillet and stir.
Step 20
Cook the filling over medium heat until the apple pieces are moderately soft. Stir gently with a wooden spatula so the apples stew evenly. At the end, sprinkle with cinnamon and mix. Cinnamon is optional - skip it if you don’t like it.
Step 21
Keep the apples over low heat for 1 minute, then remove from the stove. Cool the filling to room temperature. To cool faster, transfer it to a separate bowl.
Step 22
The dough has risen well, increasing about 2.5 times. In my case, it took 1 hour 20 minutes. Rising time depends on room temperature and yeast activity.
Step 23
Dust the work surface with flour. Gently punch down the dough and place it on the table. Divide it into 2 unequal parts. Use the smaller part to decorate the top; cover it with a towel so it doesn’t dry out while you shape the pie.
Step 24
How to shape an open pie: I made a rectangular pie. You can make it round or square and bake it in any suitable pan. It was more convenient for me to bake it on a baking sheet rather than in a pan with sides - choose what works for you. Roll the dough out on a floured surface. I wanted the bottom crust thickness to be close to the filling thickness, so I rolled it no thicker than 7-8 mm (about 1/4-1/3 in).
Step 25
Make the edges a bit thinner, since they’ll be folded over the filling. Carefully wrap the dough around a rolling pin and transfer it to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step 26
The dough is very soft and pliable. If it slightly deforms while transferring, it’s easy to adjust and reshape. If needed, grease the baking pan with vegetable oil.
Step 27
Spread the apple filling evenly over the dough, leaving 3-4 cm (about 1-1.5 in) free around each edge.
Step 28
From the smaller piece of dough, pinch off a portion, roll it out, and cut into 1 cm (about 0.4 in) wide strips. Lay the strips over the filling in a lattice pattern.
Step 29
Fold the edges of the dough over the filling. Join the corner seams so they don’t open during baking.
Step 30
Use the remaining dough to make any decoration you like so the pie looks more festive. Steps 24-30 can be changed or skipped - decorate according to your own ideas.
Step 31
In a small bowl, beat the egg with milk using a fork until smooth.
Step 32
Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash so it turns nicely golden while baking. While I was decorating, the dough rose well again, so additional proofing wasn’t needed.
Step 33
Bake the apple pie in a preheated oven at 180°C (356°F) until done. If a wooden skewer comes out dry, the pie is ready. Baking time depends on the size and thickness of the pie and your oven. Mine was 32×22 cm (about 12.6×8.7 in) and baked for about 40 minutes. If the top browns too early but the inside isn’t done, cover it with foil.
Step 34
Cool the baked pie completely, cut into portions, and serve. Enjoy your tea!
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