Strawberry Pastry Recipe

Chill and prepare

Place a large mixing bowl and your butter in the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes so everything stays cold. Pre-chill a 9-inch tart pan or line a baking sheet if making freeform pastries.

In a large bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until evenly combined.

Add the cold cubed unsalted butter to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining (about 6–8 turns).

Sprinkle 4 tablespoons of the ice water evenly over the flour mixture and gently fold with a fork. If dough seems dry, add remaining ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, just until dough comes together when pressed (do not overwork).

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and bring together into a disk with minimal kneading (about 6–8 presses). Flatten into a 1-inch-thick disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 days).

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Remove dough from fridge and let sit 5–10 minutes to make rolling easier.

On a lightly floured surface roll the chilled dough into a 12-inch circle (for a 9-inch tart) or roll into a rectangle for freeform pastries about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer dough to the tart pan and press into the sides, trimming excess; or cut into rectangles/squares for hand pies. Reserve trimmings for decoration if desired.

If making a tart, prick the bottom lightly with a fork and line with parchment and pie weights or dried beans. Blind-bake for 12 minutes, remove weights/parchment, then bake 6–8 more minutes until pale golden. If making freeform pastries, assemble with filling and brush edges with egg wash before baking. For a prebaked crust, reduce final bake time below accordingly.

Prepare egg wash by whisking 1 egg with 1 teaspoon cold milk; reserve for brushing prior to final bake.

Place the diced fresh strawberries in a medium saucepan along with 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine, letting the fruit macerate for 5–10 minutes so juices begin to release.

Set the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and becomes glossy and bubbling, about 5–7 minutes. Taste and adjust sugar or lemon as desired. Remove from heat and let cool slightly (5–10 minutes); the filling will thicken further as it cools.

If making a tart with a prebaked shell: spoon the warm strawberry filling into the baked shell and smooth. If making freeform pastries or turnovers: place about 3 tablespoons of filling onto one half of each dough rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch border; brush the border with egg wash, fold over, seal edges with a fork, and cut a few vents in the top.

If assembling a tart with raw crust (not blind-baked), brush the rim with egg wash, fill as above, and place on a baking sheet. For both tart and hand pies: brush the exposed dough lightly with the reserved egg wash to promote golden color.

Bake at 400°F (200°C): for hand pies or turnovers bake 18–22 minutes until golden and filling bubbly; for a filled tart (with prebaked shell) bake 8–12 minutes just to meld flavors and warm through; for a raw-crust tart bake 28–32 minutes until crust is golden and filling bubbles gently. Rotate pans halfway for even browning.

Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 20 minutes (hand pies) or 30–60 minutes (tart) so filling sets. Dust with confectioners' sugar and optional lemon zest before serving.

Slice tart or serve individual pastries warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days.