Crostata Pastry Recipes

APPLE CROSTATA

Steps:

• For the pastry, place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse 12 to 15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep hitting the pulse button to combine, but stop the machine just before the dough becomes a solid mass. Turn the dough onto a well-floured board and form into a disk. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Flour a rolling pin and roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer it to a baking sheet.
• For the filling, peel, core, and cut the apples into 8ths. Cut each wedge into 3 chunks. Toss the chunks with the orange zest. Cover the tart dough with the apple chunks leaving a 1 1/2-inch border.
• Combine the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and allspice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Pour into a bowl and rub it with your fingers until it starts holding together. Sprinkle evenly on the apples. Gently fold the border over the apples to enclose the dough, pleating it to make a circle.
• Bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the apples are tender. Allow to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SUMMER FRUIT CROSTATA

Steps:

• For the pastry:
• Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and toss quickly (and carefully!) with your fingers to coat each cube of butter with the flour. Pulse 12 to 15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep hitting the pulse button to combine, but stop the machine just before the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board, roll it into a ball, cut in half, and form into 2 flat disks. Wrap the disks in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. If you only need 1 disk of dough The other disk of dough can be frozen.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer it to the baking sheet.
• For the pastry (makes 2 crostatas) .
• For the filling:
• Cut the peaches and plums in wedges and place them in a bowl with the blueberries. Toss them with 1 tablespoon of the flour, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the orange zest, and the orange juice. Place the mixed fruit on the dough circle, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border.
• Combine the 1/4 cup flour, the 1/4 cup sugar, and the salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Pour into a bowl and rub it with your fingers until it starts to hold together. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Gently fold the border of the pastry over the fruit, pleating it to make an edge.
• Bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the fruit is tender. Let the crostata cool for 5 minutes, then use 2 large spatulas to transfer it to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

AMAZING APPLE CROSTATA

Steps:

• Mix flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt together with an electric mixer until combined. Mix in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water, 2 teaspoons at a time, while the mixer is running until dough just holds together. Test dough by pinching a small amount between your fingers; if it is crumbly, add a 1 teaspoon more ice water at a time.
• Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill until slightly firm, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Squeeze 1/2 the lemon over the apple slices to keep from browning.
• Place a large piece of parchment paper on a flat work surface. Roll dough into a round 12 to 16 inches in diameter, 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. Arrange apple slices in 2 layers on the dough, leaving a 1 1/2 to 2-inch border all around. Fold up the border, pleating the edge to make it fit; leave most of the apples uncovered.
• Combine 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle over apples. Squeeze remaining 1/2 lemon over apples. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons sugar over crust. Transfer parchment paper to a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crust is golden brown, 50 to 60 minutes.

CROSTATA PASTRY

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, baking powder, and salt just to sift them.
• Scatter the butter over the flour mixture. Pulse the mixture just until it resembles crumbs. Add the sugar and pulse just to mix it in .
• In a bowl, beat the egg, vinegar, and ice water. Sprinkle the liquids over the flour mixture. Pulse the processor just until the dough forms clumps. It should not come together to form a ball.
• Turn the clumps out onto a lightly floured counter and knead them gently until smooth. Shape them into a disk, wrap in foil, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Use as directed.
• Halve the peaches and remove the pits. Cut each half into 6 pieces and transfer them to a large bowl.
• Sprinkle with flour, 1/2 cup of the sugar, and lemon juice. Toss gently.
• Set the oven at 400°F.
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• On a lightly floured counter, roll the pastry dough into a 12 inch round. Lift it onto the rolling pin and transfer it to the baking sheet. Refrigerate the pastry for 5 minutes.
• Arrange the peach slices on the dough on their sides, in neat rows, making the rows as close together as possible. Leave a 1 1/2 inch border around the edge. Fold the border up over the fruit. It will pleat onto itself in places; that's OK.
• Brush the exposed dough with milk. Sprinkle the fruit and dough with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar.
• Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 375°F.
• Continue baking the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes or until the peaches are tender and the pastry is golden brown.
• Let the crostata settle for 5 minutes. Transfer it, still on the parchment paper, to a wire rack to cool.
• Preparation time includes 30 minutes refrigeration of dough.

TOMATO & GOAT CHEESE CROSTATA

Steps:

• For the pastry, place the flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse to combine. Add the diced butter and toss carefully with your fingers to coat each piece of butter with flour. Pulse 12 to 15 times, until the butter is the size of peas. While pulsing, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Pulse to combine, stopping just before the dough forms a ball. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board and form it into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for one hour.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450˚ F. Heat the 4 tablespoons butter in a large (12-inch) sauté pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add the leeks, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and sauté for 8 minutes, until the leeks are tender and starting to brown. Set aside. Place the tomatoes on a plate, sprinkle them with salt and pepper and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Set aside.
• On a floured board, roll the dough into an 11-inch circle, then place it on a sheet of parchment paper. Turn a sheet pan upside down and transfer the paper to the inverted pan. Spread the leeks on the pastry, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Crumble the goat cheese evenly on top. Arrange the tomatoes over the goat cheese, overlapping the slices because they will shrink. Turn the edges of the pastry up and over the tomatoes, crimping so they lie flat. Brush the pastry with the egg wash. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry is nicely browned. Allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes, sprinkle lightly with the fresh herbs and salt, cut in wedges and serve warm.

CROSTATA DOUGH

Steps:

• Cut butter into 1/2 inch pieces and put in freezer.
• Put dry ingredients in cuisinart and pulse to mix.
• Add butter, pulse until you have pea sized bits of butter.
• With machine running add water and stop BEFORE you have a solid mass.
• It should be crumbly.
• Dump out, divide in half and form each half into flat disks.
• Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Roll dough into a rough circle and place on sheet pan with parchment.
• Sprinkle pastry with 1/2 the cinnamon sugar.
• Place fruit filling in center 2/3 of pastry, sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar.
• Fold sides 1/3 of the way in toward center all the way around, leaving a 2/3 of the fruit exposed.
• With your thumb press down on the outside edge of the pastry circle to seal.
• Baked at 400 until pastry is nicely browned.
• Cool.