At Coltivare executive chef Ryan Pera’s wedding, they served this Strawberry & Hibiscus Crostata Recipe as dessert. Full circle moment, Coltivare has it on the menu to this day (11 years later).

Ingredients

Strawberry Filling

  • 10-12oz strawberries, sliced into quarters
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 ¾ TBSP Ramazzotti Amaro
  • ½ TBSP orange zest 
  • ½ TBSP lemon juice
  • ½ oz dried hibiscus leaves (tied with twine for easy removal)
  • ¼ tsp vanilla bean, scraped
  • ¼ tsp balsamic vinegar
  • Sea salt, pinch
  • 1oz corn starch mixed with 1oz cold water (to create corn starch slurry)

Crostata Dough

  • 9 oz flour
  • 6oz butter, frozen
  • 3oz water
  • Salt to taste

Directions

FOR THE FILLING: Set aside 1/3 of the fresh, quartered strawberries. 

  • Combine sugar, salt, orange zest, dried hibiscus leaves, and scraped vanilla bean with the remaining 2/3 of the strawberries in a large shallow pot or rondo and cook over medium heat until the fruit is soft and begins to break down in structure. You will see the juices begin to run and then caramelize. 
  • Remove dried hibiscus leaves and add in the remaining 1/3 strawberries and cook for 2-3 minutes, just until soft. Add Ramazzotti Amaro, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar and cook for another 2-3 minutes. 
  • Finally, add in the corn starch slurry and whisk vigorously for 3-4 minutes until the slurry starts to thicken the mixture. 
  • Pour the mixture into a bowl and allow to cool for an hour. 

FOR THE DOUGH: Make the dough ahead of time for best results. 

  • Dice frozen butter into small pieces, about the size of a pea. “Cut” butter into flour by taking handfuls of flour and pinching butter into it until incorporated. At this point the dough should be loose and the butter should still hold some texture while not falling out of the flour completely. If you find your hands are too warm as you mix, dip them in ice water to keep them cold. 
  • Add remaining water to mixture until fully incorporated so that the final dough holds shape. 
  • Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for 4 hours.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Once your dough and filling have been made, portion out dough into 4oz pieces. Roll out and cut into circles. Place about a half a cup of filling in the center of each circle. To make the signature fold of our crostata, start at the top of the circle and make a small fold towards the center, covering some of the filling. Hold the first fold down lightly with one hand. Moving around the dough about 1 ½ inches in a circular motion, create another fold so that it lays on top of the previous one. Continue to lightly hold the second fold down while you move on to the third. Continue until dough is completely folded around the filling. Brush the outside of the crostata dough with egg wash and lightly sprinkle raw sugar around the edges.
  • Place crostata on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, rotate pan and bake for another 10 minutes.