This versatile pastry can be made with any combination of sweet or savoury ingredients for an incredibly simple yet delicious way to enjoy the best in seasonal produce.
INGREDIENTS
for the pastry
225g flour
4g salt
15g sugar
225g butter
115g water
for the filling
250g strawberries
40g sugar
salt to taste
cornflour as needed
METHOD
1. Begin by cutting the butter into 2cm cubes and gently mixing into a bowl containing the flour, salt and sugar.
2. Squeeze the pieces of butter between your fingers to flatten them and break them down lightly. Leave large chunks of butter in the dough for better layers.
3. Pour over the cold water and combine with the butter and flour mixture. Knead the mixture until the dough just comes together. Roll out the dough onto the counter with enough flour to prevent sticking to form a large rectangle. Fold the dough in half and in half again. Wrap tightly with cling film. Allow to chill for 2 hours and roll out as needed.
4. Remove the stems from the strawberries and cut into 2cm slices. Season them well with the sugar and a pinch of salt and arrange onto a lined tray. This step will release moisture from the strawberries, which will keep our pastry base crispier later. Allow them to sit for 30 minutes or so and pat the strawberries liberally with a paper towel to dry them out.
5. Preheat the oven to 205C.
6. Roll out your pastry into a disk about half a centimetre thick and make slits around the edge of roughly 4cm long to form the folds of the pastry. Dust the centre of the pastry with a light layer of cornflour and lay the strawberries over the top.
7. Fold the edges of the pastry over the edge of the filling and crimp shut to prevent the juice from running out. Egg wash the exposed pastry and place on a lined baking tray.
8. Place into the oven for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and either serve immediately or allow it to come to room temperature before cutting in.
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