Bakewell Tart

From the kitchen of Carly

Buttery pastry layered with jam and a delicate almond filling, this Bakewell tart delivers the perfect balance of crisp crust and tender crumb. Classic British comfort with a homemade edge that tastes far better than it looks.

Bakewell Tart

Bakewell tart hits different when you make the puff pastry yourself. The laminated dough shatters under your fork, and that jam-almond filling sits beneath a golden, buttery custard that's somehow both sturdy and tender. It's a English classic that tastes like someone spent hours in the kitchen, but the method is straightforward enough to repeat.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 4 cupall-purpose flour
  • 1/8 tspfine sea salt
  • 1 lbunsalted butter
  • 1 largeegg white
  • 1/2 cuphuckleberry jam or jam of choice, such as blackberry or strawberry
  • 4 largeeggs
  • 3/4 cupunsalted butter
  • 3/4 cupsugar
  • 1/2 cupall-purpose flour
  • 1an 8-inch deep-dish pie plate
  • 1parchment paper
  • 1pie weights or dried beans
  • 1and a pastry brush

Instructions

  1. Sift the flour and salt together into a large bowl. Stir in about 1 cup of water with a knife, then keep stirring until the dough just begins to come together but still looks stringy and clumped. Add more water as needed, probably around 1 3/4 cups total, until the dough smooths out and gathers into something resembling a ball.

  2. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a long rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Lay all the butter in the center, 2 sticks stacked on top of 2 sticks, so it sits across the middle and divides the rectangle in half. Fold one long end over the butter, then fold the other long end on top, as if closing a business letter. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Back on the floured surface, roll it out again into a long, 1/2-inch-thick rectangle, fold one long end toward the center, then fold the other long end on top. Wrap and refrigerate another 10 minutes. Repeat this entire process one more time, so the dough has been rolled, folded, and chilled a total of 3 times.

  3. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325°F. Rub an 8-inch deep-dish pie plate generously with butter.

  4. On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a circle roughly 12 inches across and about 1/4 inch thick. Fit it into the prepared pie plate, trim away any excess dough and set it aside for another use. Crimp the edge with a fork if you like, then prick the bottom and sides all over with the fork. Slide the shell into the refrigerator and chill for 15 minutes.

  5. Press a sheet of parchment paper into the tart shell and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the pastry is set and just turning pale golden at the edges, about 15 minutes. Lift out the weights and parchment, then brush the bottom and sides of the shell with egg white and return it to the oven for 5 more minutes. Pull the tart out and spread the jam in an even layer across the bottom, then set it aside to cool.

  6. Fit a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the butter and sugar, and beat until the mixture is pale, light, and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Drop in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each and scraping down the bowl as needed, about 2 minutes total. With a spatula, fold in the flour gently, then pour the batter over the jam in the cooled tart shell and smooth the top. Bake until the tart is golden and set, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips from the kitchen

  • The puff pastry needs those three folds and rests, no shortcuts. Each one builds the layers that make the pastry shatter. If your butter gets warm or starts breaking through the dough, chill it longer before rolling again.
  • Blind bake the pastry shell with parchment and pie weights at 325°F until it's set but not colored, so the bottom doesn't stay doughy under the wet filling.
  • The almond filling should be smooth and pale, which means creaming the butter and sugar together takes a full 2 to 3 minutes. Don't skip this step, it aerates the filling and helps it rise slightly in the oven.
  • Brush the warm baked tart with apricot glaze or a thin jam-water mixture to give it shine and a subtle gloss that feels finished.

Variations

  • Swap the huckleberry or blackberry jam for raspberry or cherry jam, whatever you have on hand. The almond filling works with any bright, not-too-sweet jam.
  • Skip the almond filling entirely and fill the pastry shell with thick lemon curd and a scatter of toasted sliced almonds baked on top for 12 to 15 minutes.
  • Make mini Bakewell tarts using a muffin tin and small rounds of puff pastry. Reduce the baking time to 15 to 18 minutes at the same temperature.
  • Top the finished tart with a thin royal icing and a few sliced almonds for a more traditional, decorated look.

Make ahead and storage

Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The pastry softens slightly as it sits, which is fine, but don't freeze the assembled tart. Reheat gently in a 300°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes if you want it warm.