Recipe: Jam Bar July — The Classic

Welcome to Jam Bar July! Each week this month I’ll share a new jam bar recipe. First up, the classic: strawberry jam crostata! It’s like pie, but WAY easier to make. I don’t even bother fussing with a lattice top crust—this crosshatch pattern is simpler and looks just as nice.

The Classic: Strawberry Jam Crostata 

Serves 6 to 8

2 cups/250g all-purpose flour

½ cup/100g sugar

½ tsp fine sea salt

½ cup/115g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces

2 large eggs

1 lime

2 Tbsp ice water, plus more as needed

1 cup/320g strawberry jam

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and use your hands to rub it into the flour mixture until there are no butter pieces larger than a pea. Mix in 1 of the eggs plus 1 egg yolk (reserve the egg white), along with the finely grated zest of the lime, and 2 Tbsp ice water. Gather the dough into a ball. (If the dough is too crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tsp at a time, until it just comes together.) Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. 

Divide the dough into 2 balls, one slightly larger than the other. On a floured surface, roll out the larger dough ball to a 12-inch circle about ¼ inch thick, and then place it in an ungreased 9-inch fluted tart pan or pie dish. Roll out the smaller dough ball to ¼ inch thick and cut into ½-inch-wide strips. Stir the juice of the zested lime into the strawberry jam and spread evenly over the dough in the pan. Arrange the dough strips on top of the jam in a crosshatch pattern. Press to seal the strips to the crust edge. Stir the remaining egg white with a fork until foamy, then brush it on the dough to create a glossy sheen. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the jam is bubbling, about 35 minutes.