Fool Proof Crostata Dough

by Giada

Prep Time

15 minutes

Serves

1

Beginner

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Newman

Fool Proof Crostata Dough

Name: Fool Proof Crostata Dough
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour; 1/2 cup fine cornmeal; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 10 tablespoons 1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, cubed and chilled; 1/3 cup ice water (plus 1 tablespoon if needed)

A crostata is an Italian type of tart - depending on where you go in Italy, sometimes you'll see them looking rustic and freeform, and sometimes they're made in a tart pan and look a little more refined. Regardless of how you want to construct a crostata, this dough is perfect for whatever application - even just a traditional pie! I love the addition of cornmeal in this dough, because it adds a great flavor and texture element. Additionally, because cornmeal has no gluten, it helps keep this crust very tender and crisp through baking.

Use this dough any time a recipe calls for a crostata or pie crust - it's perfect, and so easy! You can really let your imagination go wild - go savory and fill a crostata with caramelized onions, or even the filling from my tomato tart! Of course, it's perfect for desserts as well - follow Lizzy's guide for a perfect fruit crostata, or you can make my simple one with raspberry jam.

Make sure you don't skip the step of allowing the dough to rest in the fridge for an hour before working with it! It ensures that the butter stays cold, and relaxes the proteins in the flour, which results in a more tender, crisp crust!

fool proof crostata dough