Easy Anytime Basic Pastry Dough
Easy Anytime Basic Pastry Dough makes my life in the kitchen super easy, especially when making dessert. This is a recipe that you want to keep on hand and you can modify it to serve your needs. The dough comes together easily in a blender. In Italian we refer to it as Pasta frolla, which we use for pies, tarts and crostata.
Today I fill my pasta frolla with pears, onions and apricots; I make a sweet and savory crostata to serve as dessert. I have also made this pie for breakfast. The dough comes together with oil instead of butter but the little bit of baking powder puffs up the dough. It is easier to work with than a dough made with butter; you can use butter if you like. Putting it in the refrigerator allows the dough to rest and makes rolling a breeze.
Both butter and oil add moisture to your baking. With butter most recipes suggest to handle the dough as little as possible, whereas using oil or shortening allows you more leverage when working with the dough. Many pie recipes made with butter are crumbly and fall apart easily. This recipe is especially helpful for anyone following a strict Vegan diet.
You can also use this dough for my Italian Chinudille https://recipesatmytable.com/crescent-moons-with-jam-and-nuts/ Cut the dough out a bit larger and use more of the nut and jam filling. These little Italian pies are very prominent at Christmas time.
This dough comes together quickly in the food processor.
I turn it onto the counter to knead a few times.
Beautiful texture!!
Next it goes into the refrigerator.
Use anjou pears or bartlett pears, because they have more texture.
The Sortilege makes this dish.
The pears and the onions come together.
It smells SO good in the kitchen.
The Pie comes out of the oven.
Easy Anytime Pastry Dough
Easy Anytime Pastry Dough brings ease to baking a pie, tart or crostata.
Ingredients
Pasta Frolla: the dough
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup canola or olive oil
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- cold water by tbsp full
- 2 tbsp milk for brushing dough
- 1 tsp coconut sugar optional
The Pear Onion filling
- 1 large vidalia onion diced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 medium pears anjou or bosc diced
- freshly ground salt and pepper
- 8 apricot halves
- 1/2 cup apricot or peach jam
- 2 tbsp sortilege whiskey optional
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Instructions
The dough
-
In a food processor pulse flour, sugar, salt and baking powder together.
In a small bowl whisk whole egg and egg yolk with the vanilla.
Add in the oil and the lemon zest.
Pour wet ingredients into the food processor.
Pulse on high for 30 seconds.
Now begin to add the cold water by the tablespoon full until the dough pulls away from the walls of the food processor.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times.
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least one hour.
The filling
-
Place the olive oil in a sautee pan with the onions.
Cook the onions giving them a golden colour.
Add the diced pears.
Add the salt and pepper.
Cook for a few minutes.
Cut the apricots into small pieces and add to the pan.
Now mix in the jam, whiskey and maple syrup.
Let it cook down until thick.
The assembly
-
Remove dough from refrigerator.
It will make one large crostata or two smaller ones.
Press the dough down with your hands and make a large circle.
Use a rolling pin and roll out from the centre.
Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Pour the filling in the centre leaving a one inch rim.
Fold over the rim. The more rustic it looks the better.
Brush the top of the dough with some milk. You can also sprinkle some coconut sugar over top.
Grate the nutmeg over the filling.
Place in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Olive oil will give your dough a more intense taste and feel. Use a good olive oil if you choose this route.
