Pulse the flour and salt together in a food processor with a steel blade. Add the cold cubed butter. Pulse in short 3-5 second intervals until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal sand. [If you do not have a food processor you can also cut the ingredients together in a bowl using two knives or a dough cutter.)
Transfer mixture into a medium bowl. Sprinkle 4 tbsp of ice water over the mixture. Fold in the water until the dough begins to come together. Add more water if needed.
Form the dough into two balls. Flatten each into a 4-6" wide disk. Dust lightly with flour, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes (and up to 2 days).
Let the dough sit at room temp for 30-40 minutes before rolling it out.
OPTIONAL: Pre-bake bottom half of the pie shell. Cover the top of the dough with foil, press the foil to fit tightly. Fill the pie shell (over the foil) with dry beans, pasta or ceramic weights. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and weights. Continue to bake for an additional 9 minutes.
Apple Pie Filling
Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
Peel, core and cut apples into 1/2" slices.
Toss apples with sugar, lemon juice and zest, salt and spices.
Turn fruit mixture into prepared pie shell.
Roll out dough for the top. Place on top of fruit. Crimp edges. Prick the top or cut in a few slices to vent.
Bake until crust is golden brown - about 25 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees continue baking for another 30-35 minutes until the filling is bubbly and the crust a deep brown.
If possible, cool to room temperature before serving.
RECIPE TIPS
I use a combination of apple varieties. Green apples have a great structure, but can be very tart. A sweeter apple has good flavor, but can get mushy when cooked. If you use 1/2 of each type, you can get a balanced result. Handy tools: Pastry Cutter, Pie WeightsVideo: Tips for assembling your pie.