If you are feeling the need for a warm, hearty, comforting dish this winter... look no further than Maroilles tart (Flamiche au Maroilles).
This recipe from the north of France makes 2 × 24cm tarts. It will require 40 minutes of preparation time, about 70 minutes of rising time and 1 hour of cooking time.
Ingredients
80ml water
20g fresh (cake) yeast
1 tsp superfine sugar
Half tsp salt
50ml extra-virgin olive oil
2 eggs
190g all-purpose flour
2 × 200g squares Maroilles cheese
A little freshly grated nutmeg
Method
Heat the water until it is just lukewarm (no hotter than 46°C; about 15 seconds in a microwave). Pour it into a mixing bowl.
Crumble in the fresh yeast, add the sugar and salt, and stir until dissolved.
Let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk in the olive oil. Add one egg and whisk quickly, by hand, to blend, then add the second egg and whisk even more vigorously.
Add the flour and whisk it in until just smooth. Avoid over-whisking, which could make the dough dry. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Line two 24cm tart tins with parchment paper. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and place in the tart tins. Using a flexible spatula or your hands, press the dough evenly over the bases of the pans and up the sides.
The dough layer will be thin, but it will rise when baked.
Remove the rinds from the sides of each Maroilles square, but leave the top and bottom rinds on. Cut the cheese into slices and arrange in a crisscross pattern over the dough, leaving a 3cm border. Sprinkle the tops lightly with grated nutmeg. Let rise for about 40 minutes at room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bake one tart at a time for about 30 minutes, or until deeply golden.
