One way of overcoming the ‘blah’s’ of our current summer heatwave is to take advantage of some the delicious summer fruit now in season: apricots, peaches, blueberries, and plums. So here is a recipe for easy Summer Fruit Crostata: a single layer of short crust pastry with edges gently folded over a mound of summer fruit. This Italian dessert is traditionally baked in a tart pan with a latticed top, but I was glad to learn that other free-form versions of Crostata are accepted. For me, that meant no more rolling out and crimping double sheets of pastry!*
This recipe was inspired by Ina Garten, however unlike her version, I do not use a food processor to make the pastry dough (handmade is best)!
*For a version featuring pastry cream and mixed fruit, refer to Frank Fariello’s crostata ai frutti di bosco
So let’s get started!
To make the pastry, combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Cut the chilled butter into cubes of about 1/2 inches and work it into the dry ingredients using your fingers until the butter resembles the size of small walnut pieces. Gradually add chilled water until the mixture forms a moist (but not sticky) dough ball. Knead several times, form dough into two small discs and chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Note: since you’ll need only one dough disc for the recipe, you can store the other disc in the freezer until needed.
Roll out one dough disc into a circle measuring 11 inches; dough should be at least 1/8 inch thick. Brush the dough with a thin layer of orange marmalade to prevent a soggy bottom during baking. Add 2-3 cups of the fruit mixture on top of the dough, leaving a margin of 1 1/2 inches around the edges.
Sprinkle some of the crumbed mixture on top and then gently fold the edges of the dough up over the fruit. Brush the edges of the dough with egg wash to produce a nice golden color.
Note: Ina’s recipe calls for white granulated sugar to make the crumb topping, but I use brown (or light brown) sugar to add more color.
Bake for 25- 40 minutes at 425 F. until the crust turns golden and slightly crispy.
Summer Fruit Crostada
Ingredients
For the pastry (makes 2 pastry discs))
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (280 grams)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter, cubed
4–6 Tbsps. cold water
For the filling (makes 1 Crostata)
2 firm ripe peaches, peeled
3 apricots
1 pint fresh blueberries
3 ripe plums, unpeeled
5–6 strawberries
1 Kiwi fruit (optional)
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. flour
Grated orange peel from 1/2 fresh orange
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon (or orange) juice
1–2 Tbsps. orange marmalade to coat bottom of pastry layer before baking
For the crumb topping:
1/4 cup brown (or light brown) sugar
1/4 cup flour
4 Tbsps. (1/2 stick) chilled butter
Dash of kosher salt
Instructions
For the pastry:
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Cut the cold butter into cubes about 1/2 inch in size. Add to the bowl and work it into the dry ingredients with your fingers until the butter resembles the size of small walnut pieces.
Make a well in the middle of the bowl and gradually add the chilled water until the dough begins to come together into a rough ball. Continue to add small amounts of water until the dough ball becomes moist but not sticky and no dry flour remains on the dough ball. Knead the dough several times until it forms a smooth ball (do not over-knead). Form the dough into two small discs, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. If you only need 1 disc of dough, the other disc can be frozen until needed.
For the filling:
Peel the peaches; cut the plums, apricots, peaches, and strawberries in 1/2 inch wedges. Add them to a bowl along with the fresh blueberries and sliced Kiwi fruit (if using). Add 1 Tbsp. flour, 1 Tbsp. sugar, orange zest, and lemon juice; toss until coated and set aside.
For the crumb topping:
Add the flour, sugar, and dash salt in a bowl. Cut the chilled butter into rough cubes of 1/2 inch. Using your hands, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the dough starts to come together; set aside.
To assemble the crostata:
Pre-heat over to 425 F. On a lightly-floured surface, roll out the chilled dough into an 11-inch circle. Transfer dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the dough surface with several tablespoons of orange marmalade to prevent bottom of dough becoming soggy. Add 2-3 cups of the fruit on top of the dough, leaving a margin of 1 1/2 inches around the edges. Sprinkle the crumb topping on top of the dough. Gently fold the the edges of the dough over the fruit, pleating it to make an edge. Brush the edges of the folded dough with egg wash to help the dough turn golden during baking. Bake at 425 F or 25-40 minutes or until the dough turns crisp and golden and the fruit softens. If the dough starts to burn, place some aluminum foil over the top. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
2 Comments
Mimi Rippee
July 22, 2026 at 11:13 amBeautiful! And I know it’s tasty!
David Scott Allen
July 22, 2026 at 11:27 amThis looks both delicious and so beautiful. I love fruit crostatas — they work so well for dessert and breakfast the morning after! Love the crumb topping!
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