Peach Tart

How to prepare peach tart

1. Note: Put the butter and water in the refrigerator about 15 minutes before starting the dough preparation to ensure they're very cold. At each step of the recipe, work as quickly as you can so the butter doesn't soften, and with cooled hands.
2. Place the flour in a bowl, preferably one that's wider at the base.
3. Cut the butter into slices, then take each slice between your fingers (ideally cool your hands under cold running water first) and press until the butter breaks into pieces. You'll get "flakes" of butter this way.
4. Pour the water along the edge of the bowl, all around.
5. Start forming the dough like this: put your palm under the flour, bring it over the butter and press with the heel of your palm. Rotate the bowl and repeat this motion until all the flour is "stuck" to the butter. Under no circumstances knead the dough like bread dough, even if you're tempted. We want the butter pieces to stay whole in the dough and in the same direction. We don't need to get a homogeneous or smooth dough (see photo 2), when the flour in the bowl is "stuck" to the butter our dough is ready, even if it doesn't look like it 😉 Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
6. Sprinkle some flour on your work surface (I used parchment paper). Roll out the dough into a rectangle shape, slightly thinner than a finger, with the longer side toward you. Fold the dough in thirds, bringing the side edges (the short ones) toward the center. Roll out the dough into a rectangle again, this time with the short side toward you. Fold the dough in thirds again, bringing the short edges toward the center (see photos 4, 5, 6). The dough gets a bit sticky when it warms up, but if you do these rollings and foldings very quickly it won't stick too much. Flour the rolling pin as needed.
8. Wrap the dough in plastic again and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Clean the work surface in case the dough stuck a bit.
9. Repeat steps 6 and 7 one more time.
   * Important: at this point you can freeze the dough; when you want to use it just take it out of the freezer, put it in the refrigerator until completely thawed, then continue with the steps below; if it's a bit too firm and cracks when you roll it, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes until it becomes flexible
10. Sprinkle a bit of flour on a new piece of parchment paper. Roll out a circular sheet of about 30cm diameter on it (if the dough starts to stick a bit to the rolling pin, put the sheet as is in the refrigerator for 10 minutes and then continue rolling). When the dough is rolled thin, slide a baking tray under it and refrigerate for another 20 minutes.
11. Prepare the peaches: wash them well under running water until the fuzz comes off the skin. Cut each into about 8-10 slices. Sprinkle with salt, then with 3 tablespoons of sugar and the vanilla sugar, and toss with your hands until they're coated in sugar.
12. Arrange the peach slices on the rolled-out sheet, leaving about a 5cm border. Fold the edges over the fruit, being careful not to tear the dough. Sprinkle one more tablespoon of sugar over the peaches.
14. Bake the peach tart in the preheated oven at 220°C for 45 minutes, until the edge is lightly golden.
    * if the peaches on top look a bit dry, use a silicone brush to coat them with the syrup from underneath, they'll instantly become shiny like the peaches below
15. Let the tart cool a bit, then serve. It's best served within 1 hour of being prepared. It's still good the next day, but the crust softens a bit.

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