Rebecca Masson of Houston’s Fluff Bake Bar tops her dense and delicious apple pie with a thick layer of crisp, buttery crumble.
Make the crust
Step 1
In a food processor, pulse the flour with the granulated sugar and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-size pieces remaining. Sprinkle the ice water and vinegar on top and pulse until evenly moistened. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather up any crumbs and form into a ball. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Step 2
Preheat the oven to 400°. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to a 14-inch round, a scant 1/4 inch thick. Ease the dough into a 9-inch deep-dish glass pie plate and trim the overhang to 2 inches. Fold the overhanging dough under itself to form a 1/2-inch-high rim; crimp decoratively. Freeze the crust for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the topping
Step 3
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, mix the flour with the oats, brown sugar and salt at low speed. With the machine at medium speed, gradually beat in the butter. Transfer to a bowl and press into clumps. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
Make the filling
Step 4
In a large bowl, toss the apples with the sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Spread the apple mixture in the crust and set the pie on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake the pie for about 25 minutes, until the crust is just starting to brown.

Step 5
Remove the pie from the oven and gently pack the crumb topping onto the apples. Bake for 30 minutes longer, until the topping is golden and the Pie types is just starting to bubble. Let cool completely on a rack before serving.