Help! Bacon Onion Tart w/puff pastry

[tzakiel]

I took a cooking class and made an amazing bacon and onion tart using pastry dough.

I have tried to replicate this at home... it's basically sauteed bacon and onion (thin strips) placed on pastry dough with a thin layer of creme fraische applied to act as a glue. It then goes into the oven at 425 for a little bit to puff up and get browned.

The problem is, at the class it was very light and crispy... at home, the entire center of the pastry gets saturated and floppy and greasy. What could be wrong?

My thoughts:

1. I'm using regular strips of breakfast bacon instead of slab bacon - is this more greasy? What is the advantage of cutting slab bacon into strips rather than using strips from the store?

2. I'm using the frozen puff pasty sheets rather than making my own pastry dough, do these not work well for this?

 

[ChefJune]

I'm not sure why this is happening to you. Regular bacon should work the same as sliced slab bacon.

Did you make the puff pastry in the class? If so, did you use all butter in the recipe? The most widely distributed brand of frozen puff pastry no longer uses butter in its recipe. If you are using that brand, perhaps that is causing your problem. Dufour Puff Pastry is sold on lline and also at Whole Foods stores. That is all butter pastry.

The other problem might be that your oven is not at the temperature it says it is. Are you using an oven thermometer to check?

Hope you figure it out. I love this kind of tart. I actually make something similar fairly regularly, but I beat a couple of eggs with the creme fraiche and use a pie shell.

 

[tzakiel]

I'm using pepperidge farm puff pasty. We didn't "make" the pastry in the class but the instructor did and I'm sure she used whatever is the best.

 

[ChefJune]

I'm using pepperidge farm puff pasty. We didn't "make" the pastry in the class but the instructor did and I'm sure she used whatever is the best.

that would be the puff pastry that is no longer made with butter.

 

[tzakiel]

I will try the du four next or make my own and see the difference. I will also use a bit less creme and a pat the bacon down to remove a little grease next time.

I still have a sheet of pepperidge farm left, what's it good for (if anything) if it doesn't have butter?

 

[kadesma]

I will try the du four next or make my own and see the difference. I will also use a bit less creme and a pat the bacon down to remove a little grease next time.

I still have a sheet of pepperidge farm left, what's it good for (if anything) if it doesn't have butter?

Get some already cook sausage, my kids like the garlic kind or kielbasa rol the puff pastry a little if you like mustard spread a little on it then place a link of the sausage and encase it ith the pastry. Do this til all the pastry is used up, Bake at 350-75 tilpuffed and golden bown time varies with sausage used.Then cut into pieces and serve with more mustard of choice. You can also use the pastry to wrap large olives..
kadesma

 

[LPBeier]

Another think I like to do with leftover puff pastry is to roll it fairly (but not too) thin and sprinkle it with either cinnamon sugar or a mixture of sugar and finely shaved semi- or bitter-sweet chocolate, put it on a baking sheet flat and bake it at 350 until golden and the topping is caramelized (or melted in the case of the chocolate.

As for your problem, I agree that it is probably a combination of the butterless puff pastry and maybe a bit too much grease and creme fraiche.

 

[ChefJune]

An additional thought: did you roll out the sheet of puff pastry you used, or did you just unfold it and top it?

If you did NOT roll it out, you might try the whole thing again just as before, only roll out the pastry until it is very thin. It will puff up while baking.

 

[tzakiel]

ChefJune,

I thought of that myself and rolled it out thinner last time I made this, and yes, you are right, that did make it puff up - but it always looks good in the oven... I guess I should be more clear. It always puffs in the oven just fine, but when I take it out and serve it, it goes down and gets greasy and flat except on the edges.

 

[ChefJune]

Are you cooking the bacon at least partway before putting it on the tart?

 

[tzakiel]

Yes, I render the fat in a pan with onions on low heat for a few minutes

 

[ChefJune]

now you've really got me baffled!

 

[Loprraine]

Just a thought. When I make bacon onion tarts, I cook the bacon completely, and drain very well. Same with the onions, I caramelize them, and drain well on paper towels.

 

[tzakiel]

Maybe I am just overthinking it... i'll try again and drain the bacon.

 

[ChefJune]

Just a thought. When I make bacon onion tarts, I cook the bacon completely, and drain very well. Same with the onions, I caramelize them, and drain well on paper towels.

me, also.

 

[archiduc]

I took a cooking class and made an amazing bacon and onion tart using pastry dough.

I have tried to replicate this at home... it's basically sauteed bacon and onion (thin strips) placed on pastry dough with a thin layer of creme fraische applied to act as a glue. It then goes into the oven at 425 for a little bit to puff up and get browned.

The problem is, at the class it was very light and crispy... at home, the entire center of the pastry gets saturated and floppy and greasy. What could be wrong?

My thoughts:

1. I'm using regular strips of breakfast bacon instead of slab bacon - is this more greasy? What is the advantage of cutting slab bacon into strips rather than using strips from the store?

2. I'm using the frozen puff pasty sheets rather than making my own pastry dough, do these not work well for this?

Hi Tzakiel,

It could be that your oven when it registers 425F is not at 425f - get an oven termometer and check the internal temperature of your oven.

Commercially made frozen puff pastry, thawed and used should work as well as home made. Try placing the dish on a baking sheet that has been placed in the oven whilst the oven is heating it up. This way, the centre of the dough will have a "boost" from the pre-heated baking sheet/tray.

Hope this helps,
Archiduc

 

[tzakiel]

Look what I found on the Dufour web site:

"If product looks nicely browned and puffed when removed from oven and then collapses when cool, it has been under baked. Either raise temperature and/or bake longer."

 

[ChefJune]

Look what I found on the Dufour web site:

"If product looks nicely browned and puffed when removed from oven and then collapses when cool, it has been under baked. Either raise temperature and/or bake longer."

...and verifying your oven's temperature with a thermometer will help ensure your pastry bakes at the correct temp for the right length of time.

I hope this solves your dilemma.

 

[tzakiel]

Just tried again with the pepperidge farm again... the combination of extra baking time and giving the bacon a little bit more heat to make it crisper, really did help everything come out better - it was much crisper this time. I also picked up some Dufour puff pastry at whole foods which I will use next time I'm cooking for a special dinner... $10.50 for a small package... wow! But yes, I think I can consieder this case closed.

 

[Vanilla Bean]

This is not the same thing as I didn't use sheets of puff pastry. I made my own dough. Just in case you want to try something different. I think the below recipe is more like a quiche.

German Onion Pie Recipe : Recipezaar

Coming back to add, I think that recipe wouldn't be considered an appetizer. That just dawned on me. .... not unless you served it as a brunch item and cut in to thin wedges....