CROSTATA

The 2010 November Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Simona of briciole. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make pasta frolla for a crostata. She used her own experience as a source, as well as information from Pellegrino Artusi’s Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well.

I was glad to have an easy challenge this month as I was preparing several desserts for a Thanksgiving dinner party.  I decided to make version 1 of the pasta frolla and use a traditional Thanksgiving flavor "apple" for the crostata.  I used a variety of apples including Granny Smith, Fuji, and Gala apples tossed with some lemon zest, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  In the rush to get the crostata completed I forgot to take photos of the process, but baked until golden brown the crostata was delicious and enjoyed by the crowd!

{VERSION 1 OF PASTA FROLLA}

{Ingredients}

• 1/2 c. minus 1 tablespoon [105 ml, 100 g, 3 ½ oz] superfine sugar (see Note 1) or a scant 3/4 cup [180ml, 90g, 3 oz] of powdered sugar
• 1 and 3/4 cup [420 ml, 235 g, 8 1/4 oz.] unbleached all-purpose flour
• a pinch of salt
• 1 stick [8 tablespoons / 4 oz. / 115 g] cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• grated zest of half a lemon (you could also use vanilla sugar as an option, see Note 2)
• 1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten in a small bowl

{Making pasta frolla by hand}

1. Whisk together sugar, flour and salt in a bowl.
2. Rub or cut the butter into the flour until the mixture has the consistency of coarse crumbs. You can do this in the bowl or on your work surface, using your fingertips or an implement of choice.
3. Make a well in the center of the mounded flour and butter mixture and pour the beaten eggs into it (reserve about a teaspoon of the egg mixture for glazing purposes later on – place in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to use).
4. Add the lemon zest to your flour/butter/egg mixture.
5. Use a fork to incorporate the liquid into the solid ingredients, and then use your fingertips.
6. Knead lightly just until the dough comes together into a ball.
7. Shape the dough into a flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator and chill for at least two hours. You can refrigerate the dough overnight.

{Making pasta frolla with a food processor}

1. Put sugar, flour, salt, and lemon zest in the food processor and pulse a few times to mix.
2. Add butter and pulse a few times, until the mixture has the consistency of coarse meal.
3. Empty food processor's bowl onto your work surface
4. See step 3 above and continue as explained in the following steps (minus the lemon zest, which you have already added)

{Assembling and baking the crostata}

3. Heat the oven to 375ºF [190ºC/gas mark 5].
4. Take the pasta frolla out of the fridge, unwrap it and cut away ¼ of the dough. Reserve this dough to make the lattice top of the crostata. Refrigerate this dough while you work on the tart base.
5. To help roll the crostata dough, keep the dough on top of the plastic wrap that you had it wrapped in. This can help rolling the dough and can also help when transferring the dough to your pan. You can also use parchment paper for this. However, you can also roll the dough directly on a work surface if you prefer.
6. Lightly dust the top of the dough and your work surface (if you’re rolling directly on a work surface) with flour. Keep some flour handy to dust the dough as you go along.
7. If the dough is very firm, start by pressing the dough with the rolling pin from the middle to each end, moving the rolling pin by a pin's width each time; turn the dough 180 degrees and repeat; when it softens, start rolling.
8. Roll the dough into a circle about 1/8th inch (3 mm) thick.
9. If you used the plastic wrap or parchment paper as rolling surface, flip dough over the pan, centering it. Peel away the plastic wrap.
10. Layer the apples in the center of the dough, leaving a 2 inch border evenly over the bottom of the crostata.  Fold the border over on top of the apples.  Dot the top with a little butter.  Brush the dough with heavy cream and sprinkle granulated sugar on top. 
11. Put the crostata in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes.
12. After 30 minutes, check the crostata and continue baking until the crostata is of a nice golden hue. (Note: Every oven is different. In my oven it took 34 minutes to bake the tart until golden.
13. Remove from the oven, cool slightly.   
14. Serve warm, dusted with powdered sugar and accompanied with vanilla ice-cream or cinnamon whipped cream.