November Daring Bakers - 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.

Crostata. Or what I would call a tart. Fairly simple. So simple, I completed it within 6 hours of originally reading the post!! I checked it out at 5:30am before work, printed it off, brought it with me, and made at work the morning of November 1st!

I thought about making this a full dessert for the residents at the retirement home where I work, but I was afraid the crust would be really crumbly and it would be hard to make as a large pan of Crostata. Boy was I wrong!

I made just a single batch and I have to say, the dough was BEAUTIFUL! I often have trouble with the recipes we're given, but this recipe was great. A lovely rich dough that was so easy to work with. It didn't break, it rolled out well, it wasn't crumbly. It baked to perfection. Overall, I love this recipe and will be using it again!

I chose to fill my crostata with a marmalade. The residents love marmalade and it makes a good filling for tarts. I went with a really basic lattice top. So basic that I didn't even overlap anything. (Ok, perhaps basic isn't the correct word. How about lazy?)

I don't have one of those lovely pans with the fluted edge and the bottom that removes. I wish I did! So I used a pie plate.

I tossed my Crostata in the oven and it baked up beautifully! Even though I forgot to egg wash it! Whoops!

I tried to get it out of the pie plate and it popped out beautifully!

Overall, I have to say that I love this recipe and would absolutely make it again. I would like to try it with the pastry cream and fresh fruit. Perhaps later in the month.

Now for some pictures!

Here's my mixture after cutting in the butter. While I had a RoboCoupe behind me, I decided to just cut it by hand with a pastry cutter.


My dough in the pie plate. I cut it about halfway down the side of the pie plate as it wasn't supposed to have a huge side. Rightly so - I think an entire mouthful of marmalade wouldn't be a nice as a layer between pastry.


My unbaked Crostata in the pie pan with lattice. Lazy Lattice. It's alliteration. So that means it's ok I was lazy.


My baked Crostata out of the pie pan! I think it turned out not too shabby! I'll cut it tomorrow and put it in the coffee room for the residents.