Crostata (jam tart)
Crostata is a super popular Italian jam tart made with shortcrust pastry (Pasta Frolla) and a fruity jam filling. It's super easy to make and tastes delicious! Serve your Italian jam tart for breakfast with a cappuccino or for dessert!
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 263kcal
Ingredients
For the pastry (Pasta Frolla)
- 2 cups 00 flour or unbleached all-purpose (250g) *see note 1
- ½ cup caster sugar golden or white (80g)
- 8.5 tablespoon cold butter cubed (120g)
- 1 large egg
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
For the filling
- 1 cup strawberry jam (320g)
Instructions
How to make the pastry (pasta Frolla)
- Sift the flour into a large bowl then add the rest of the dry ingredients including the lemon zest, stir to combine.
- Add the egg and butter and cut it into the flour mixture with a spatula or pastry scraper to form rough crumbs.
- Start to bring the mixture together with your hands to form a dough. Knead the pastry until all the flour is fully absorbed and it becomes a smooth ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
How to prepare the crostata
- Pre-heat the oven to 350F/180C.
- After the dough has chilled remove from the fridge and roll out using a rolling pin until ¼ inch (½ cm) thick.
- Lay the pastry over a tart or pie pan tucking in the sides until it fits evenly. Trim the edges of the tart making sure to leave around ½ an inch (1 cm) overlap so you can fold it over later .
- Prick the base with a fork then add the jam into the tart and spread it over the base evenly.
- Roll the scrap pastry back into a ball and roll back out until ¼ inch thick. Cut out strips for the top of the tart using a knife or pastry cutter.
- Lay the strips of pastry over the crostata in a criss-cross pattern (or however you like) and fold the pastry edges around the tart over.
- Bake in the oven for 45 minutes until golden brown, leave to cool completely then serve.
Video
Notes
- If measuring in cups it's important to spoon the flour into the cups but do not level it off. For accurate and best results when baking use a kitchen scale.
- Butter - make sure you use cold butter straight from the fridge.
- Texture of crostata dough - the dough will seem dry at first but as the butter incorporates into the flour it'll come together into a soft ball. If you measured the flour with cups there's a chance of over-measuring the flour so if the pastry doesn't come together add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until it does.
- Chilling the dough - it's important to chill the dough before rolling out so it gets a chance to rest and stiffen up. If you don't chill the dough it'll be much harder to work with.
- Filling - you can use any kind of fruit jam you like to fill the crostata.
- Leftovers - the crostata will keep well for up to 1 week stored in the fridge or can be frozen and thawed as needed. When freezing make sure to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap (cling film) and aluminium foil.
Nutrition
Calories: 263kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 191mg | Potassium: 49mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 268IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg