The Bojon Gourmet

0 For the crust, prepare the dough, shape half of it into a 9-inch (23-cm) crust as directed, and chill the unbaked crust until firm, at least 30 minutes. Patch any holes or tears with extra dough scraps.
1 Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
2 For the filling, peel the apples, cut them off the core and slice them a scant ¼-inch thick. You should have 7 cups total. Place the apple slices in a large bowl and gently toss with the maple syrup, lemon zest and juice, tapioca starch, cinnamon and salt. Let sit 10–20 minutes, tossing a few times, to draw out the juices.
3 On a surface dusted lightly with cassava flour, roll out the other piece of dough to about ¼ inch thick. Use a fluted biscuit cutter or small glass to cut 1 ½ and/or 2-inch rounds close together. Stack the rounds on a plate and chill until firm, 20 minutes. Optionally, press the dough scraps together, wrap and chill until firm, and repeat the rolling/cutting process once more. You can save the scraps to make a small galette or other treat!
4 Meanwhile, position a rack in the lower third of the oven, place a baking stone on the rack if you have one and preheat to 400ºF.
5 Pour the apples and their liquid into the unbaked crust and pack the apples down snugly.  Lay the chilled dough rounds over the top of the fruit, leaving lots of windows for steam to escape. To finish, brush the rounds with the milk and sprinkle with the sugar.
6 Place the pie on the lined baking sheet and place in the oven on the baking stone. Bake at 400ºF for 15 minutes, then decrease the oven temperature to 350ºF and continue baking until the crust is golden and the fruit is bubbling furiously, 70-80 more minutes. These apples like a nice long bake!
7 Let the pie cool completely to set the fruit, at least 2 hours, then cut into wedges and serve at room temperature. I find that a small serrated knife works best to cut the topping. The pie is best the day of baking and will keep at room temperature for up to 1 day or refrigerated for up to 3 days. You can freeze extra pie, but the crust doesn’t retain its crispness.