This apple tart is incredibly easy and delicious. It's also lower in fat and sugar than most apple pies. The crust is thin--think of a thin pizza crust, only a bit sweeter and a little more complex from the sourdough discard/starter. The topping is simple: apples, a little sugar, and apricot spread. The magic happens in the oven. The apples release their juices and caramelize with the sugar. A little of the juice seeps into the crust layer, but the crust retains enough of its texture to keep from getting soggy. If you want, you can make the crust, pop it into the refrigerator overnight, and bake the tart the next day for dinner. The tart is best served warm, and it's great topped with whipped cream or ice cream. Enjoy!
Sourdough Apple Tart -- Serves 6 +
Crust
1 cup of sourdough starter/discard
2 tablespoons of canola oil
2 tablespoons of sugar
1/4 cup of flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
In a large bowl combine the starter/discard, oil, sugar, flour, and salt. Stir them together well mixed and smooth. Spritz a quiche or tart pan well with non-stick cooking spray and press the crust mixture into the pan. The crust mixture will be doughy and stretchy, but keep pressing. You want it fairly thin. You can cover the dough with plastic and refrigerate the dough for a day, if you'd like. When you're ready to make the pie/tart, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit out for an hour or so to warm to room temperature.
Topping
2 medium/large apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into wedges about 1/3-1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 -1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or apple pie spice (optional but good)
1/3 cup of apricot spread (or use preserves or jam)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Let the crust/dough sit while you prepare the apples, then press it again into the tart pan. Sprinkle the dough with half of the sugar, then arrange the apples over the the crust/dough. I usually arrange them in a circle and then put the remaining apples in the middle of the pie/tart. Sprinkle the apples with the spice, if you're using it. Sprinkle the remaining sugar evenly over the apples. Place the filled quiche/tart pan in the oven (as is or on a baking sheet for ease of removal and to avoid possible oven spills). Bake the tart for 35-45 minutes or until the apples have softened and caramelized brown in spots. Remove the tart from the oven. While it's still hot, stir the apricot spread well and then spoon it evenly over the hot apples. Use the back of the spoon to gently smear the apricot spread over the apples to glaze them. Let the tart cool for about 20 minutes to firm up before serving it warm. The tart also is good at room temperature, and you can reheat pieces in the air fryer, if you'd like.
