2 hours ago
7
Italians know what they’re doing when it comes to sweet things, and they’re not shy about enjoying them for breakfast, either; that said, only in Sicily do I feel comfortable having brioche and granita first thing in the morning, mainly because no one there bats an eyelid. This crostata – a buttery, crumbly pastry filled with homemade blackberry and bay jam – would work well for both breakfast and an afternoon treat. You will have more jam than needed here, but if you’re going to the effort of making it yourself, it’s worth having a bit extra to enjoy on yoghurt or toast.
Blackberry and bay crostata
Prep 5 min
Macerate 1 hr+
Chill 1 hr
Cook 1 hr 30 min
Serves 8-10
For the jam
600g blackberries
300g caster sugar
Juice of ½ lemon
2 fresh bay leaves
For the pastry
155g unsalted butter
60g caster sugar
1 egg, plus 2 egg yolks
310g type 00 flour, or plain flour
¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp fine sea salt
Milk, for brushing
Start with the jam. Put the blackberries, sugar and lemon juice in a large bowl and leave to macerate for at least an hour, and ideally three or four, until the berries turn syrupy and most of the sugar has dissolved.
Put a small saucer in the freezer – you’ll use this later to test if the jam is done. Put the berry mix, including all the juices, in a large, wide saucepan, then add the bay leaves and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat, simmer for 10-12 minutes, then put a teaspoonful of the jam mix on the chilled saucer. Leave it to sit for two minutes, then push it with a fingertip: if it wrinkles a little, it’s done; if not, cook for a couple of minutes more and retest. Remove and discard the bay leaves, then pour the jam on to a shallow tray and leave to cool.
To make the pastry, beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Whisk in the egg and egg yolks, then add the flour, baking powder and salt, and stir well to bring the mix together into a dough. Give it a quick knead, then divide in two, with one piece slightly larger than the other. Wrap both in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for an hour, or until firm.
Roll out the larger piece of dough to about 2½cm wider than a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin, then lift into the tin and press evenly into the corners. Trim off any overhanging pastry, prick the base all over with a fork and fill with about 300g of the cooled jam.
Roll out the other piece of dough, then, using a sharp knife or crimped cutter, cut it into eight strips. Arrange these neatly on top of the jam (ie, four in each direction) to create a lattice pattern, then trim off any overhanging edges. Brush the exposed pastry lightly with milk, then bake for 25-30 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove, leave to cool completely, then lift out of the tin.
