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Tarte Tatin

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Tarte Tatin

Cuisine:French

Course:Dessert

30m prep 45m cook 1h ready

One 10- or 11-inch tart This classic French upside-down apple tart is named for the Tatin sisters, who served it at their hotel in the Loire Valley. When the tart is turned out of the skillet, the top crust—an overlapping ring of golden, caramelized apples—is an enticing sight. Prepare the tart in any deep, heavy ovenproof skillet, such as cast-iron, measuring 7 to 8 inches across the bottom and 10 to 11 inches across the top. Pans made especially for tarte Tatin are available online and at some cookware stores. Please read Rolling Pie Dough and Lining a Pie or Tart Pan with Dough.

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Ingredients

Servings:
½× 1× 1½× 2× 3×
Units:
As Written US Metric
  • 1
    • 2 ⅓ cups (290g) all-purpose flour
    • 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
    • 5 tablespoons (70g) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
    • ¾ cup (175g) ice water
    • 3 ½ sticks (14 oz or 395g) unsalted butter
    • 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Pulse to combine in a food processor: 2 ⅓ cups (290g) all-purpose flour; 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
    2. Scatter over the flour: 5 tablespoons (70g) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
    3. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle over: ¾ cup (175g) ice water
    4. Pulse just until the dough begins to come together, 10 to 15 seconds. Scrape the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and form it into a 5-inch square. Wrap the dough and refrigerate for 1 hour.
    5. Meanwhile, cut into ½-inch slices and freeze for 2 minutes: 3 ½ sticks (14 oz or 395g) unsalted butter
    6. Place in the food processor: 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
    7. Distribute the butter slices over the flour and pulse just until the mixture looks like fine gravel. Scrape the mixture down from the processor sides and process just until smooth. Scrape onto a sheet of plastic wrap and shape the butter into a 6-inch square. Wrap the butter block tightly and refrigerate while you roll out the dough.
    8. Place the dough square on a lightly floured surface and roll into a 13 × 8-inch rectangle. Brush off the excess flour. Remove the butter block from the refrigerator and unwrap it. As shown in the top three illustrations, above, center it on one half of the dough; fold the dough over the butter, completely covering it; press the dough together to seal on the three open sides. Turn the dough a quarter turn counterclockwise.
    9. Roll the dough package into a 17 × 7 ½-inch rectangle, keeping a short side facing you. Fold the bottom third of the dough up over the center of the dough. Fold the top third of the dough down over top of the first third, as though you were folding a business letter. This is called a single turn (shown on the bottom left). Rotate the dough a quarter turn counterclockwise and roll the dough once more into a 17 × 7 ½-inch rectangle. This time fold the bottom end up and the top end down to meet in the center (do not overlap), then fold the dough in half, to make 4 layers of dough, as shown on bottom center and right. This double fold is the second turn. Mark the dough with 2 finger imprints to remind yourself that you have given the dough 2 turns. Wrap the dough tightly and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
    10. With the folded edge on the left, roll the dough out again to 17 × 7 ½ inches. Make another double fold, for the third turn. Mark with 3 finger imprints, wrap the dough, and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
    11. Roll the dough out and make another double fold for the fourth turn. Mark the dough with 4 imprints, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using. Or wrap and store as directed in About Puff Pastry.
  • 6 firm medium apples such as Braeburn, Granny Smith, or Honeycrisp (about 3 pounds or 1.36kg)
  • 1 stick (4 oz or 115g) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup (200g) sugar

Let's Prepare

Collect

Gather these ingredients - no prep needed yet.

  • 1 8 ounces puff pastry, store-bought or homemade, Rough Puff Pastry, or ½ recipe All-Butter Pie or Pastry Dough
  • 6 firm medium apples such as Braeburn, Granny Smith, or Honeycrisp (about 3 pounds or 1.36kg)
  • 1 stick (4 oz or 115g) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup (200g) sugar

Let's Cook

  1. Step 1.

    Have ready: 8 ounces puff pastry, store-bought or homemade, Rough Puff Pastry, or ½ recipe All-Butter Pie or Pastry Dough

  2. Step 2.

    Roll or cut the dough into a 12-inch round, slip a cookie sheet beneath it, and refrigerate.

  3. Step 3.

    Position a rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

  4. Step 4.

    Peel, core, and quarter: 6 firm medium apples such as Braeburn, Granny Smith, or Honeycrisp (about 3 pounds or 1.36kg)

  5. Step 5.

    Melt in a skillet (see note for skillet size and type): 1 stick (4 oz or 115g) unsalted butter

  6. Step 6.

    Remove from the heat and sprinkle evenly over the bottom: 1 cup (200g) sugar

  7. Step 7.

    Arrange a ring of apple quarters around the outer edge of the skillet, standing the apples on the thin edge of their cut side and propping them up against one another so as to fit as many as possible. Fill in the center of the skillet with the remaining apple quarters. (You may have a piece or two of apple left over.) Place the skillet over high heat and cook until the juices turn from butterscotch to deep amber, 10 to 12 minutes.

  8. Step 8.

    Remove the skillet from the heat, spear the apples with a fork or the tip of a paring knife, and flip them onto their uncooked sides. Return the skillet to high heat and cook 5 minutes more. Remove the skillet from the heat and slide the prepared crust onto the apples. Being careful not to burn your fingers, gently tuck the edges of the dough against the inner sides of the skillet. Transfer to the oven and bake until the crust is richly browned, 25 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a rack for 20 minutes.

  9. Step 9.

    Loosen the sides of the tart with a knife and invert the tart onto a heatproof serving plate. Return any apples that stick to the skillet to their proper place on top of the tart. Serve immediately, or let stand at room temperature for up to 8 hours. When ready to serve, warm the tart to tepid in an oven heated at the lowest setting.

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