Unsweetened applesauce replaces much of the richness usually supplied by fat, while olive oil keeps the rim crisp after baking. Expect a firm shell made for savoury tarts and quiches, not a replica of buttery, flaky shortcrust. Choose plainly labelled unsweetened applesauce: added sugar would be unnecessary in a pastry intended to sit under a savoury filling.
BreadsWhole-Wheat Tart Pastry
This whole-wheat tart pastry uses olive oil for crisp edges and unsweetened applesauce to replace much of the fat in a classic dough. It makes one 28 cm shell for savoury tarts or quiches.
Ingredients
Preparation Steps
Mix the dry ingredients
Put the Whole Wheat Flour and Salt in a large bowl. Drizzle in the Olive Oil and rub it through the flour with your fingertips until the mixture looks like damp sand.
Form the dough
Stir in the Unsweetened Applesauce, then add the Water gradually. Press the mixture together until no dry flour remains; knead only a few times, just until it forms a cohesive dough. If it feels dry or crumbly, keep pressing before adding any more liquid.
Chill
Flatten the dough into a disc, cover it, and refrigerate for 40 minutes, until firm. This gives the whole-wheat flour time to absorb the moisture and makes rolling easier.
Line the tart tin
Roll the chilled dough into a round large enough for a 28 cm tart tin, then press it into the base and sides. Trim the edge and prick the base several times with a fork. From here, you can add fillings for either quiches or tarts.
Recipe insights
Applesauce and olive oil have separate jobs
Whole-wheat flour needs time to hydrate
The 40-minute chill is what makes this dough manageable. Whole-wheat flour absorbs moisture more slowly than refined flour, so rolling too soon invites cracking at the edges. Budget the full 50 minutes of inactive time, including the 10-minute cooling period after baking—but if you don’t let it chill for the full 50 minutes, it’s not exactly a pastry catastrophe. It may simply be a little less cooperative. If the dough seems crumbly before chilling, press it together first; repeated kneading works against the tender texture this lean pastry needs.
Comments
Be the first to comment 👇