Rustic Apple Crostata

As fall approaches, apple season unfolds in all its glory, bringing with it a bounty of flavors and colors. The crisp air pairs perfectly with the wide variety of apples available, each one offering its own unique taste. For baking, it’s hard to go wrong with Braeburn and Gala apples, but Honeycrisp, Granny Smith and Golden Delicious also shine, depending on the sweetness or tartness you prefer.

This time of year is perfect for making both tarts and crostatas, which may seem similar but have key differences. A tart is typically baked in a pan with a carefully crimped crust, whereas a crostata is a free-form pastry, shaped by hand, giving it a rustic, more relaxed look. The crostata’s beauty lies in its simplicity—you can easily bring it together by hand or with a food processor. The dough is forgiving, yielding a golden, flaky crust that perfectly holds the tender apples. While some bakers like to brush the crust with egg wash, butter or jam for extra sheen, I left mine bare, and it still browned to a lovely golden hue. To add a touch of fall sweetness, I drizzled honey over the apples before baking. The result was a warm, comforting dessert, delicious on its own but even more delightful with a dollop of freshly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

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Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

Crostata Dough

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1 stick plus 2 tablespoons (8 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter cut up into cubes
• 1/3 cup ice cold water

Apple Filling

• 4-6 large apples Braeburn, Gala, Honey Crisp, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinammon
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Pinch of ground cloves
• zest of 1/2 a lemon
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• drizzle of honey
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter cut into cubes (optional)

Instructions

• In a large bowl or the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and cold butter. Mix the ingredients, breaking the butter into small pieces. Gradually sprinkle the ice water over the flour mixture, blending or processing until the dough comes together. You should still see small chunks of butter throughout. Transfer the dough to a work surface and pat into a flat disk. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate until chilled, about 20 minutes.
• Peel, halve and core the apples and slice them crosswise into 1/4 inch thick pieces. Place the apple slices in a large bowl and sprinkle the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves over the apples. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice. Toss to coat the apples evenly.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 12-inch circle and transfer to the baking sheet. Arrange the apples slices on top of the dough in circles or in slightly overlapping rows, to within 1 inch of the edge. Drizzle the honey over the chopped apples. Dot with the pieces of butter, if using. Fold the dough edges up and over the apples to create a 1-inch border.
• Bake the crostata for about 45 minutes or so, or until the crust is nicely browned and crisp and the apples are tender. Let the crostata cool. Serve warm or at room temperature with fresh whipped cream or your favorite ice cream.

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