“With my famous magic dough, you’ll see it’s unbeatable”: our chef shares his secrets for making his tarte Tatin a success every time!

What is the most famous French dessert in the world? Tarte Tatin, of course. You may not know it, but this apple-based dessert is one of the most popular pastries in France. A craze which is all the greater in the autumn period. It’s the dessert of the moment. This is good because Chef Damien took an interest in this sweet preparation in a video and revealed how to make it at home: “I’m going to make you a very simple recipe for tarte Tatin with my famous magic dough and you’ll see it’s unbeatable”.

But before putting you behind the stove, we decided to reveal to you in this article the chef’s secrets for making a successful tarte Tatin every time. You’ll see, it’s a pure delight, we assure you.

The first step is to prepare the caramel, a real touch of indulgence in the recipe. To do this, heat your springform pan, which is a small iron mold. You place it on your baking trays to melt a little butter before adding the sugar and vanilla. Remember to then melt everything over medium heat.

After peeling them, cut the apples in half and remove the core using a vegetable knife so that you no longer have any seeds. You can then place them in slices in your mold on top of the caramel. You place the apple halves upright against each other: “What is important is to squeeze the apples well”specifies the chef. Then cook them over low heat for at least 20 to 25 minutes. This will allow the apples to be cooked for the first time and thus remove their moisture.

While the apples are cooking, move on to preparing the dough. Contrary to popular belief, there is nothing very complicated about making it at home. Moreover, Chef Damien’s magic dough is very simple to reproduce. But then how is it magical? “It’s quite simply that it’s very easy to perform, it’s foolproof and what’s more, it doesn’t even need time to rest.”

In a salad bowl, first put the flour and butter. You will then dilute a large pinch of salt in water, alongside in a glass. While the salt melts, you knead the flour and butter mixture by hand. “It’s called sanding the dough.” Then you add the salted water and form a ball with your dough. During this step, it is best to knead the dough very lightly: “You don’t have to work it too much, because otherwise you will cause the gluten to come out”specifies the chef.

Finally, you can flatten your dough using a rolling pin on a floured work surface. The best is to obtain a thickness of around 5 millimeters.

Once your apples are cooked and your dough is ready, it’s time to assemble the pie. To do this, nothing could be simpler: just cover your apples with the round of dough. You will then fold down all the dough that exceeds your mold using a large spoon. “Don’t hesitate to push the dough inside. This is super important to have a nice tarte Tatin appearance”explains Chef Damien.

Consider making a small hole in the middle, called the chimney: “It simply serves to evaporate excess water from the apples.”

Then, put the tart in an oven previously heated to 170°C for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Generally, if your tarte Tatin fails, it’s because your apples release too much water. To avoid it, the chef shares some tips with you.

The first thing to do is to pre-cook your apples to evaporate them, as we did previously by letting them cook over low heat with the caramel. Second tip: when you put the dough on top of the apples, remember to make a small chimney to allow the humidity to escape. Third tip: always favor slow and long cooking. As a reminder, it is 170°C for 1 hour minimum for this recipe. Finally, use a conductive mold and avoid silicone, earthenware and glass molds.

You now have all the cards in hand to make your tarte Tatin a success. And if you were wondering what to taste it with, Chef Damien has his opinion on the matter: “Personally, it’s with thick crème fraîche, because it will bring acidity, a little touch of fat and deliciousness to the recipe”. It’s up to you to test!