A crostata is an Italian baked tart or pie and they can be traced back to at least the 15th century in their modern form. It is characterised by being a "rustic free-form version of an open fruit tart". Traditionally, a crostata consists of a base of three layers of friable dough but, today, shortcrust pastry is used instead. It is differentiated from a torta by its filling, as a crostata has an inconsistent chunky filling, whereas a torta has a consistent filling made of ingredients that have been blended together.
All sorts of fillings have been used and both sweet and savoury varieties exist. Sweet variations use fruit preserves as a filling, most commonly apricot, cherry, peach, nectarine, or berries. Today, even a Nutella crostata exists! Savoury versions may include meat, fish, or vegetables, which are pre-cooked. Each region, town and, sometimes, household, have different versions and specialities – whether that be sweet or savoury – and it is a beloved dish that Italians from all over the country have grown up with.
A particular Tuscan take on this type of dish, however, is a sweet type called Crostata di Marmellata. You will easily find it in cafes all over the region, however, if you find a luxury villa in Florence, you're guaranteed to find it instantly. If you can't wait that long this jam-filled delight, why not try making it at home first?
Ingredients:
200g of flour
100g of sugar
100g of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg and 1 yolk
A pinch of salt
Good quality fruit jam - in Tuscany, the most commonly used are blackberry and apricot, but you can choose whatever you please
Method:
1. Mix the flour, sugar and salt. In the centre, add the butter, egg and yolk and quickly blend – handle as little as possible to keep the butter from melting too much. Mix until you have a smooth ball. Cover and leave to rest for at least an hour.
2. Once your dough has rested, butter a flat-bottomed round pan and preheat your oven to 175 C. Roll the dough out around 1 cm thick on a lightly floured surface. Set the dough over the pan and work in the corners, cutting off the excess. With the remaining dough, roll again, cut into strips and lay them over the jam in a cross-hatch pattern. Save enough of the dough to add a thin ring around the border to create a rim, fluting with your hand a little or with the back of a fork.
3. Bake for around 20 minutes, or until the dough begins to brown, at the most 30-40 minutes.
Leave to cool a little and then dig in!
A particular Tuscan take on this type of dish, however, is a sweet type called Crostata di Marmellata. You will easily find it in cafes all over the region, however, if you find a luxury villa in Florence, you're guaranteed to find it instantly. If you can't wait that long this jam-filled delight, why not try making it at home first?
Ingredients:
200g of flour
100g of sugar
100g of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg and 1 yolk
A pinch of salt
Good quality fruit jam - in Tuscany, the most commonly used are blackberry and apricot, but you can choose whatever you please
Method:
1. Mix the flour, sugar and salt. In the centre, add the butter, egg and yolk and quickly blend – handle as little as possible to keep the butter from melting too much. Mix until you have a smooth ball. Cover and leave to rest for at least an hour.
2. Once your dough has rested, butter a flat-bottomed round pan and preheat your oven to 175 C. Roll the dough out around 1 cm thick on a lightly floured surface. Set the dough over the pan and work in the corners, cutting off the excess. With the remaining dough, roll again, cut into strips and lay them over the jam in a cross-hatch pattern. Save enough of the dough to add a thin ring around the border to create a rim, fluting with your hand a little or with the back of a fork.
3. Bake for around 20 minutes, or until the dough begins to brown, at the most 30-40 minutes.
Leave to cool a little and then dig in!
