Free-Form Plum Tart
In short: Rustic tart with a flaky butter crust folded loosely around juicy plum wedges and baked on a sheet pan. No tart pan and no neat edges required. It takes about 1 h 20 min in total and makes 8 servings.
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Resting
- 1 h
- Total
- 1 h 20 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 300 kcal
A free-form tart is the relaxed cousin of a pie: roll the pastry out roughly, pile fruit in the middle, fold the edges over and bake on a sheet. There is no tart pan, no blind baking and no worry about neat edges, because the rustic folds are the whole point. Plums suit this treatment because they turn jammy and pleasantly sharp in the oven. Peaches, apricots, apples or berries can take their place.
Instructions
- Mix the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until the pieces are the size of small peas, with some flat flakes left.
- Sprinkle over 4 tablespoons of the ice water and mix with a fork until the dough just holds together when pinched, adding more water if needed. Shape into a disc, wrap and chill for 1 hour.
- Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Toss the plums with the 50 g sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon.
- Roll the dough on a floured sheet of parchment into a rough round about 33 cm (13 in) wide and 4 mm (1/6 in) thick. Slide the parchment onto a baking sheet.
- Sprinkle the ground almonds over the center, leaving a 6 cm (2 1/2 in) border. Pile the plums on top and fold the edge of the dough over the fruit, pleating it as you go.
- Brush the pastry with the egg yolk mixture and sprinkle with the coarse sugar. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and the juices bubble.
- Cool on the sheet for 15 minutes, then slide the tart onto a board. Serve warm or at room temperature with cream or ice cream.
Tips
- Keep everything cold. Use cold butter and ice water, and stop mixing as soon as the dough holds together. Visible flecks of butter give a flaky crust.
- Some juice will leak onto the parchment, and that is fine because it caramelizes. The ground almonds and cornstarch limit it by soaking up the plum juices.
Questions and answers
Can I use other fruit in a free-form tart?
Yes. Peaches, apricots, nectarines, apples, pears and berries all work. Adjust the sugar to the sweetness of the fruit and keep the cornstarch for juicy fruit.
Why did my free-form tart leak?
A little leaking is normal. To limit it, keep a 6 cm border, pleat the folds tightly, use the almonds and cornstarch and bake on a parchment-lined sheet.
Can I make the dough ahead?
Yes. Wrap it and chill it for up to 2 days, or freeze it for 3 months and thaw it overnight in the fridge.
How long does it take to make Free-Form Plum Tart?
About 1 h 20 min in total: 35 min of preparation and 45 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Free-Form Plum Tart?
About 300 kcal per serving, with 4 g of protein, 38 g of carbohydrates and 15 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 300 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 38 g |
| Fat | 15 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 17 g |
| Sodium | 80 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
