Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour
• 1 cup Salted Butter sliced into 1/2” slices
• 10-12 Tbsp Ice Water
• 1 cup Ricotta
• 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar
• 2 pints Fresh Strawberries or other berries

Instructions

1. Add the flour and the butter to a food processor and pulse several times until mixture resembles coarse meal (and butter pieces are reduced to about the size of peas). (NOTE: You can also use a pastry cutter if you don’t have a food processor.)
2. Pour the mixture into a bowl. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of water around the rim of the bowl, toss with a fork to incorporate into the mixture, drizzle another 2 tablespoons of water, toss with a fork. Repeat this process until all water is incorporated. When done, mixture should easily stick together when gathered between your hands.
3. Separate the mixture into halves in the bowl and begin lightly kneading each ball until all the mixture sticks together. (If it is still too dry, drizzle a little more water (a tablespoon at a time) into it and toss the mixture with a fork. You want the dough to be sticky enough to adhere together without crumbling, but you don’t want it to be wet. Also, do not over knead.)
4. Form two discs out of the mixture, sprinkle flour over the discs and wrap in plastic. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes prior to using. (If you won’t be using both, you can freeze the extra one for later.)

1. Prep the strawberries by washing and drying them, removing the stems and slicing them into four slices each. Set aside.

1. Mix the ricotta with the powdered sugar, and use a spoon to incorporate. Set aside.

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Roll the chilled pastry dough into a 1/4-inch thick disc. Lay the rolled out crust onto the baking sheet you’ll be baking on. (NOTE: once the dough is filled it is too hard to move. So, don’t skip this step!)
3. Smear the sweetened ricotta at the center of the disc, leaving a 1 1/2-inch space between the ricotta and the edge.
4. Layer the sliced strawberries (NOTE: ALL berries work with the ricotta) over the ricotta, and, using a zester, zest a lemon over the strawberries.
5. Fold the outer edges of the dough over the filling in an accordion fashion to slightly cover the edge of the filling.
6. Wash the exposed dough with egg wash and sprinkle with baking sugar. (NOTE: If you don’t have coarse baking sugar, you can always use regular sugar.)
7. Bake in preheated oven for 18-24 minutes. The crust should be golden brown when ready.
8. Cool slightly to allow the ricotta to set, then slice and serve!