What could be more inviting than this Strawberry Crumb Tart? Fresh strawberries on top of Nutella along with an unusual shaping technique that requires no tart pan. It's quickly mixed in the processor with an easy assembly. While it's best eaten freshly made, I'll show you how to manage the assembly ahead of time.
Fresh strawberries on top of Nutella ensure a combination that's hard to beat. The technique of assembling this is easy and quick.
Be sure to check out these other strawberry recipes. Strawberry Bread, Strawberry Cake - A little taste of Heaven, (Almost) No Bake Strawberry Pie, Chocolate Strawberry Pie, and Strawberry Surprise Cupcakes.
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Recipe Ingredients
Crumb Topping
FRONT ROW: Unsalted Butter, almond extract
BACK ROW: Cake flour, brown sugar and granulated sugar
Pastry Dough
FRONT ROW: Vanilla extract, granulated sugar, instant yeast, water
MIDDLE ROW: Unsalted Butter
BACK ROW: All-purpose flour, egg yolk, sour cream
Assembly
FRONT ROW: Strawberries, an egg
BACK ROW: Powdered sugar, Nutella
Be sure to see the recipe card below foar the full ingredients and instructions.
Step by Step Instructions
Crumb Topping
Step 1. Place the flour, granulated and brown sugar in the processor bowl. Pulse to mix. Step 2. Cut the cold butter into pieces. Place the butter over the dry ingredients. Step 3. Pulse the processor until the crumbs form. Do not over process or a paste will form. Step 4. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until needed.
Pastry Dough
Step 5. Place the flour in the processor bowl and pulse to mix. Step 6. Add the cold cubed butter and process until indistinguishable. Step 7. Combine the water, vanilla and yeast, stir to mix. Add this along with the remainder of the ingredients. Step 8. Process until a ball forms.
Step 9. Shape the dough into a flat round. Refrigerate if too chill or overnight. Step 10. Roll the dough slightly bigger than 10". Step 11. Place a 10" cake round, plate or lid on top. Step 12. Cut out the 10" round. Place on parchment paper, transfer to a half sheet and chill while assembling the ingredients for the tart.
Assembly
Step 13. Select 8 to 10 strawberries of the same size. Step 14. Trim the tops and cut them in half. Step 15. Place a 5 to 6" bowl in the center of the pastry round. Spread the Nutella to within ¼' of the edge. It is easiest to do this with the back of a spoon. Step 16. Place the strawberry halves on top of the Nutella with the sides touching.
Step 17. To crimp the edges use your index finger and just push the dough in. Step 18. Remove the bowl and cut the center of the exposed dough into eighths. This is easily done with a pizza cutter. Step 19. Turn the dough triangles over the strawberries. Step 20. Complete the tart.
Step 21. Beat an egg until no white is showing. Step 22. Egg wash the top of the pastry, including the egg. This will hold the crumbs on. Step 23. Press the crumbs onto the tart and bake as directed. Step 24. After the tart is cooled, dust it lightly with powdered sugar.
Make Ahead Instructions
Prepare the tart through Step 15. Remove the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate or freeze overnight or up to several days. When ready to finish, remove it from the fridge or freezer. If using from the fridge, finish the tart as above placing the bowl back on the pastry before adding the strawberries. If removing from the freezer, allow to thaw but keep it cold.
This Tart should be eaten the same day it is made.
Recipe FAQ'S
No, only firm but ripe, fresh strawberries should be used. They will soften in the oven but the frozen ones will be limp, soft and moist before going into the oven and will become soggy ruining the tart.
There is no tart pan needed to make this tart. It is made on the sheet pan on which it is baked.
To fill the tart shell equally around and prevent smaller ones from baking faster and exuding too much juice. There is no thickening in this tart
Expert Tips
- Cold is the key with the pastry. If it warms up too much it will be harder to transfer to the parchment paper.
- The strawberries should be about 2" long after trimming to cover the Nutella and keep their shape after baking.
- After egg washing the completed tart, make sure to press the crumbs in place so they don't fall off during baking. The egg wash will act as a glue.
- Use more or less crumbs as desired. Store the remainder in the freezer to use on muffins, quick breads, other tarts or coffee cakes.
- The almond extract can be changed to vanilla according to your preference.
- Don't over bake the tart. The pastry should just start to color.
- Despite the fact there is yeast in the dough, it never rises before using.
A few more strawberry offerings
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Strawberry Crumb Tart Recipe
Equipment
- Food Processor
- ½ sheet pan
- Small bowl with 5 ½ to 6" top diameter
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, cold (58 grams)
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar (35 grams)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar (35 hgrams)
- ⅔ cup cake flour (75 grams)
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Pastry Dough
- 2 teaspoons warm water
- ¾ teaspoon instant yeast
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, cold (58 grams)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (140 grams)
- ¼ cup sour cream (58 grams)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar (40 grams)
- 1 large egg yolk
Assembly
- 10 2 ½" strawberries *
- ⅓ to ½ cup Nutella
- 1 large egg
- powdered sugar as needed
- *The strawberries need to be the same size. They should be ripe but firm and not overly ripe.
Instructions
Crumb Topping
- The butter needs to be cold. Cut it into small cubes.
- Place the cake flour, granulated and brown sugars in the bowl of a processor. Process to mix completely.
- Add the butter and almond extract. Pulse to form crumbs. Do not over process or it will become a paste. Refrigerate until needed. This can be made a few days ahead and kept covered in the fridge.
Pastry Dough - Despite the fact that this dough has yeast in it, it is never put to rise.
- The butter needs to be refrigerator cold. Cut in small cubes. Keep cold.
- Combine the water, yeast, and vanilla in a tiny bowl. Stir together and set aside.
- Place the flour in the processor and pulse to mix.
- Add the cold butter and process until the butter is indistinguishable.
- Add the remaining ingredients including the yeast mixture and process until a ball forms. Refrigerate for several hours until cold and firm.
- The pastry dough can be made a day or two ahead, wrapped and refrigerated.
Assembly - This should be assembled the day it is served. See below for making it ahead.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Remove the dough from the fridge. If it is hard, let it sit for a few minutes until you can roll it. Do not let it get soft - it should remain cold.
- Roll the dough into a 10 ½" or 11" round. Center a 10" cake board, plate turned upside down or a lid on the dough. Cut out the 10" round. Transfer to the parchment lined half sheet pan. Place in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Rinse and dry the strawberries. Cut the tops off and then cut them in half top to bottom.
- If the following instructions are a bit confusing, please refer to the photos where it will become very clear.
- Remove the pastry base from the fridge. Place a 5 ½" to 6" bowl in the center of the pastry. Spread Nutella on the exposed dough to within ¼" of the edge of the circle.
- Place the strawberries touching each other with the pointed ends touching the bowl extending to the edge of the Nutella so the entire base is covered.
- Crimp the edge of the pastry using your index finger and just pushing it in to meet the Nutella.
- Carefully, remove the bowl and cut the exposed pastry into 8 wedges. This is easiest done with a pizza cutter. Cut it in half, then fourths and finally eights.
- Pick up one wedge at a time and cover the strawberries with it. Continue around until all 8 wedges are over strawberries.
- Beat the egg with a fork until there is no white showing. Brush the pastry and tops of the strawberries with the egg. This will hold the crumbs in place.
- Cover the tart with a much or little of the crumbs as desired, pressing them onto the egg wash.
- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until the pastry is very lightly browned..
- To serve, cut between the pastry wedges for one serving.
- To Make Ahead: The crumbs and dough can both be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen. If frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge. Prepare through spreading the Nutella on the pastry. Remove the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or freeze for several days. If frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight. Replace the bowl on the pastry. Continue as above in the instructions.
Notes
Nutrition
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