Apple Crostata

5 from 3 votes

This apple crostata is a rustic dessert made with flaky pasta frolla pastry dough that's filled with cinnamon and sugar-coated apple slices and baked until golden.

Prep Time1 20

Cook Time45

Total Time2 5

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: slices

Author: James Delmage and Tara

Ingredients

For the dough

2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour plus more for rolling
1/3 cup (80g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (113g) butter cold and cubed
1 medium egg at room temperature
1 medium egg yolk at room temperature
1 pinch fine sea salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest or orange zest

For the filling

3 medium apples sliced
1/4 cup (50g) packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons (12g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 medium egg beaten
2 teaspoons sugar

Instructions

For the pasta frolla (sweet shortcrust pastry dough)

Add the flour, salt, sugar, and lemon zest to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to mix the ingredients. Add the cold butter cubes and pulse again. You should have small coarse pieces.
Next, add the egg and pulse just a few times until the dough is formed.
Place the dough onto a work surface and knead for a few seconds only. You just want to bring the dough together and form 1 ball.
Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour before using. The dough can be made 2 days ahead of time.

For the filling

Slice your apples into quarters then slice into 1/8" thick slices, or slice using a mandoline.
In a large bowl add the lemon juice to the apples.
In a small bowl whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour.
Mix the sugar mixture with the apple slices until combined.

For the crostata

Preheat the oven to 375f and place the rack in the center of the oven. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 12-inch circle, about 1/3-inch thick, and transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking tray.
Arrange the apples in the center of the dish leaving at least 1 - 1 1/2 inches around the perimeter.
Begin to gently fold over the edges of the dough while leaving the center exposed.
Brush the beaten egg wash around the edge of the dough with a pasty brush and sprinkle with the granulated sugar.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the edges are crisp and golden. Allow the crostata to settle for 10 minutes prior to serving. Enjoy!

Notes

We used a combination of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples but use whichever apples you'd like. Granny Smith tend to be on the more tart side and do well in baked desserts.
When you remove the pasta frolla ball from the refrigerator, it will be quite firm. Allow it to sit for about 10 minutes before starting to work it. As you begin to spread it with your hands, it will warm up and become more pliable.
The pasta frolla can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator or frozen for 3 months.
This recipe was written for a conventional oven. For convection ovens, reduce the temperature by 25 degrees and begin checking for doneness at the 75% mark.

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