Simple, Rustic, and Delicious Peach Crostata 🍑

• 3 to 4 large ripe peaches
• 100 g granulated sugar
• pinch of kosher salt
• 16 g flour
• 6 g sugar for sprinkling
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water for egg wash
• 1 pie shell, homemade or store-bought, recipe follows

Mga Tagubilin

1. Crust Preparation

   1

   Roll your pie crust to about a 13" (33cm) circle in diameter. Place it on an inverted baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

2. Peach Filling

   2

   When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and set the racks to the lower third of the oven. In the meantime, wash the peaches, halve them, remove the pit, and slice each half into 4 pieces or so (around 8 wedges per peach). You do not want to make the slices too thin. Arrange these pieces in a circle that's just under 10" (25cm) in diameter in a single layer on a piece of parchment paper—you are doing this to ensure you have just the right amount of peaches. I find that I usually need 3.5 large peaches. Snack on the leftover pieces.

3. 3

   Toss your peach pieces with sugar and a pinch of salt, gently rubbing them with your hands to coat well but not to break the pieces. Sprinkle with flour and ensure it's distributed evenly. Arrange these pieces on top of the rolled-out dough, leaving the outer 1.5–2" (4–5cm) uncovered.

4. Assembly & Baking

   4

   Gently fold the edges of the pie crust over the peach circle, forming a rustic crostata. Place this into the fridge for 15 minutes, but not much longer.

5. 5

   Remove the crostata from the fridge, brush the edges with the egg wash, and sprinkle them with 1.5 tsp (7ml) sugar. Bake in the preheated oven for 40–45 minutes until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling. You can serve this warm (let it cool slightly first) or at room temperature. Enjoy!

6. 6

   Add the flour, salt, sugar, and butter to the bowl of your stand mixer. Place the paddle attachment into the bowl and put everything into the fridge to chill. Every ingredient as well as everything that touches the dough should be very cold. Chill for at least half an hour.

7. 7

   When chilled, set up the paddle attachment and mix on low until the flour resembles coarse crumbs. You are not looking for small pea-sized crumbs—you are looking for large fluffy crumbs. Basically, all of those 1/2" (1cm) cubes should be gently smashed by the mixer without turning into a mealy powder.

8. 8

   With the mixer running on low, add water in a steady stream. Mix until just combined. Transfer onto a work surface, flatten the dough, and fold it over itself a couple of times (that creates those delicious layers without the risk of overmixing). Fold it like you would a letter, flatten it, then fold again.

9. 9

   Roll out your dough to the required shape on a well-floured surface. Don't be afraid of flour and use it liberally; simply brush it off after you are done rolling.

10. 10

    The important thing is to roll the dough to 3–4mm thick. It's 1/8 of an inch or just under, to about 14 inches (35cm) in diameter. Use this pie crust as directed in your recipe. (Be sure to chill the dough for at least an hour, ideally two, after you roll it out and shape it into your pie plate.)