Peach Crostata
A free-form tart built for very juicy fruit, with a semolina layer to soak up the runoff.
Makes 1 crostata · Prep 20 min · Rise 30 min · Bake 42 min
Ingredients
Pastry
- 1 Basic pie pastry dough, one disc
Base
- 3 tbsp Fine semolina — or almond flour if semolina isn't on hand
Filling
- 4 Ripe peaches, sliced — about 4 cups sliced
- 1/3 cup Granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
Finish
- 1 Egg, beaten
- 1 tbsp Coarse sugar
Instructions
Prep
- Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking sheet.
Shape
- Roll the pastry into a rough 12-inch circle on the sheet.
Base
- Sprinkle the semolina over the centre, leaving a 2-inch border bare. (Tip: Semolina holds more liquid than almond flour or crushed cookies, which matters here — ripe peaches can be the juiciest fruit in this whole category.)
Filling
- Toss the peach slices with the sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice, then pile over the semolina.
Fold
- Fold the bare border up and over the fruit, pleating loosely.
Bake
- Brush the edge with egg wash, sprinkle with coarse sugar if using, and bake until the crust is deeply golden and the fruit is bubbling all through the centre.
Cool
- Cool at least 25 minutes before slicing.
Tips
- Peaches still weren't ripe enough: Firm, underripe peaches take longer to soften and release less juice, which can leave the filling dry rather than the usual concern of too wet. A few extra minutes covered loosely with foil helps them catch up.
- No semolina on hand: Almond flour works as the standard substitute, though it won't absorb quite as much liquid — a slightly firmer fruit or a little extra cornstarch helps close the gap.