apple tart (alice waters way)

A simple apple tart with lots of tart apples. Heaven! Why complicate matters?

apple tart, alice waters way

(from the art of simple food,
by alice waters,
p.174 & 180)

the dough

1 cup unbleached all-purpose unbleached flour

1/4 tsp. salt

6 tbs. (3/4 stick) cold butter, cut into small 1/4-inch cubes

1/4 cup ice-cold water

1. Cut or work the butter into the flour with a pastry blender or your fingertips, leaving some of the butter in fairly large, irregular pieces. This will take 1 or 2 minutes. (Or mix for no more than a minute, at medium-low speed, in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.)

2. Pour in 3/4 of the water, stirring all the while with a fork until the dough begins to form clumps. (in the mixer, turn the speed to low and pour the water down the sides of the bowl, mixing for 30 seconds or less.) Keep adding water if needed.

3. Bring the dough together into a ball, and wrap the ball in plastic. Compress it, and then flatten it into a disk. Let rest, refrigerated for 1 hour or longer.

the filling

3 lbs apples (Sierra Beauty, Pippin, Granny Smith are good choices)

3 tbs butter, melted 

5 tbs sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Peel, core, and slice about 1/4 inch thick 3 lbs apples
3. Roll out the dough into a 14-inch circle.  Brush off any excess flour and transfer the dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let it firm up in the refrigerator for 10 minutes or so.
4. Spread some apple sauce on the pastry (optional)
5. Lay apples slices end to end on a circle around the circumference, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border.
6. Arrange the remaining apple slices within this circle in tight overlapping concentric circles. The apples should be about 1 1/2 layers thick.
7. Fold the dough border over the apples.
8. Brush the folded dough border generously with the melted butter and then pat the tops of the apples with the rest.
9. Sprinkle the crust with 2 tbs sugar. table.etc: I used turbinado sugar
10. Sprinkle the apples with 2 to 3 tbs sugar. table.etc: I used regular cane sugar
11. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until the crust is golden brown on the bottom. table.etc: even better (crunchier) if baked on a pizza stone
12. Slide off the pan and cool on a rack.
13. table.etc: brush the apples with some apricot jam for color

Table.etc: I baked this tart a lot this summer with peaches, plums, apricots,... Always delicious. I love this tart because the crust is very crunchy and you can really taste the fruits. I love it also because  you can make the dough in advance (even a few days before), and use it when needed.