[A] Peach [of a] Crostata

By awright0511

If you want the peaches to be very soft, and the texture of the filling smoother, blanch the peaches by placing them in boiling water for 2 minutes before placing them in a bowl of ice. This will loosen the skin enough that the skin should peel off easily and begin to soften the flesh. Then, pit and slice the peaches, and proceed with the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 cup plus 4 tablespoons all-purpose gluten-free flour (I use Better Batter), divided
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if using Better Batter)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced and chilled
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup water, iced (ice cubes don’t count in the volume measurement)
• 4 large ripe peaches, pitted and sliced thinly
• juice of 1 lemon
• granulated sugar (to taste — between 2 and 4 tablespoons)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract (it brings out the flavor of the peaches, but if you don’t have it, just substitute pure vanilla extract)
• 1 extra-large egg, lighten beaten with 1 tablespoon milk or water (for egg wash)

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

In a large bowl, mix 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour (reserve the other 2 tablespoons), xanthan gum, salt, baking powder, and confectioner’s sugar until well combined.
Add the cold, diced butter to the bowl of dry ingredients. If you have a pastry blender, cut in the butter by holding on to the handle and pressing the tines of the blender into the mixture over and over again until the mixture resembles small pea-size chunks of butter wrapped in the flour mixture. If you are using two knives, just cross them and cut repeatedly into the mixture until it looks like small pieces of cold butter wrapped in the flour mixture.
Add 1/4 cup ice water to the mixture by the tablespoon. With clean dry hands, squeeze the mixture tightly in your fists. Continue to add water by the tablespoonful, squeezing the mixture together, until the dough holds together. Handling the dough as little as possible, form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven. Otherwise, invert a rimmed baking sheet, and set it aside.
While the dough is chilling, make the filling. In a large bowl, combine the peaches, lemon juice, granulated sugar, almond extract, and 2 reserved tablespoons of flour. Mix gently until combined.
Once the dough has chilled, roll it out between two pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap that have been lightly dusted with gluten-free flour. Roll the dough until it is about the thickness of a nickel (about 1/8 inch thick). Remove the parchment paper from one side of the dough, and invert the bare side of the dough onto a clean piece of parchment paper. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper. If the dough seemed difficult to handle at all, place it in the refrigerator to chill again for another 10 minutes or until firm.
Heap the peach filling onto the dough, leaving about a 1 1/2 inch border around the edge of the dough. Brush the border with egg wash. Gently fold the dough over the edge of the filling in 2 inch sections, overlapping each section over the previous, for a rustic pleated look. Brush the remaining egg wash over the whole tart, filling and crust.
Place the crostata back in the oven, if necessary, to chill once more before baking. The colder it is when it hits the hot oven, the better.
Place either on the pizza stone or on the inverted baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven, and bake until the peaches are softened and the crust a warm, golden brown, about 35 to 45 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature.