This sugar pie is not healthy. It is a pie that is overloaded with sugar and fat, so you can probably say that it is quite unhealthy.
But it tastes divinely good, so who cares?
Besides, it’s also a great way to make use of any excess of sourdough starter, if you happen to have some.
Tarte Au Sucre, or sugar pie, origins from France, but I suppose you have already figured that out. I found the recipe in a book written by Jan Hedh, a Swedish baker and pastry chef. The original recipe didn’t contain any sourdough starter, but I wanted to give it a try, and the result was over my expectations.
Serve it with some whipped cream an strawberry or raspberry jam to a cup of strong coffee, and you will be considered a genius by your friends.
No, I’m not kidding. It does taste that good.
PIE CRUST
Let’s begin with the crust. Add all the ingredients into a bowl and start mixing. You can use a dough mixer, but I prefer to do it by hand.
I just take a handful and squeeze it through my fingers repeatedly until everything starts to come together. Continue to knead until you get a smooth dough.
Wrap it in clingfilm and let it rest for 2 hours. Degas the dough and fold it like an envelope. Wrap in clingfilm again an let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, preferably longer.
FORMING THE PIE CRUST
Lightly flour your working surface and roll out the dough to a thickness of about 2-3 mm ( I think that ‘s about 1/10 inch?).
Fold up the sides so that the topping won’t float out everywhere.
Cover the dough with cling film an let it proof for at least 2 hours in room temperature.
TOPPING
Preheat the oven to 470ºF / 200ºC.
And now the decadent part begins. Brown butter until it starts to smell hazelnut and add sour cream and mix well. Let it boil for a couple of minutes and remove from heat.
FINAL TOUCH
Sprinkle the sugar over the pie crust and spread the topping evenly. Bake the pies for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are golden brown. Let them cool before serving.
The taste of caramel mixed with sour cream is unbeatable. And the sourdough starter adds an exciting taste experience. In the center of the pie, it tastes caramel, sweet and creamy. But the outer edge of the crust has a certain tang.
If you don’t have a sourdough starter, or you just don’t like the idea of using it in the pie crust, you can replace it with 60 grams water, 60 grams flour and 8 grams fresh yeast. If you prefer to use dry yeast, you can reduce it to 4 grams.
Tarte au sucre
Ingredients
Pie crust
- 120 gram sourdough starter 100% hydration
- 115 gram Wheat flour
- 18 gram brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 80 gram butter
Topping
- 100 gram brown sugar
- 20 gram butter
- 200 gram sour cream
Instructions
Preparing pie crust
- Mix all ingredients for the pie crust with a dough mixer or by hand into a smooth dough. Wrap it in clingfilm and let it rest for 2 hours.
- Degas the dough and fold it like an envelope. Wrap in clingfilm again an let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, preferably longer.
- Lightly flour your working surface and roll out the dough to a thickness of about 2-3 mm. Fold up the sides. Cover the dough with cling film an let it proof for at least 2 hours in room temperature.
Add topping and bake
- Preheat the oven to 470ºF / 200ºC. Brown butter and add sour cream and mix well. Let it boil for a couple of minutes and remove from heat.
- Sprinkle the sugar over the pie crust and spread the topping evenly. Bake the pies for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are golden brown. Let them cool before serving.
