R

When rye and chickpea flours are combined, as in the crust for this tasty crostata, the texture is both toothsome and tender. It’s a nice partner for the savory-sweet filling of fontina, caramelized onions, prosciutto, and figs. Rye flour is quite absorbent, so the dough is refrigerated a couple times during the prep. Crostatas are often somewhat free form in shape and thus rustic in appearance.

See other related recipes in The Power of Alternative Flours

Yield: 6 portions
Prep time: about 45 minutes plus 2 hours unattended refrigeration
Shelf life: 3 to 4 days 

Ingredients

Dough
⅔ cup chickpea flour
⅔ cup dark rye flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 tablespoon cream
1 teaspoon honey
4 ounces chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 

Filling
1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
5 ounces thinly sliced onion
.2 ounces minced garlic
.1 ounce chopped fresh thyme
3 ounces fontina cheese, shredded
4 ounces dried black mission figs
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, mixed with 1 tablespoon milk or cream, to brush on crust

Preparation

1. For the crust: In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the chickpea and rye flours and salt; pulse to blend. Add the butter and pulse into 1/4-inch pieces.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, cream, and honey together; add to the flour mixture and pulse until the dough resembles coarse meal. Add the lemon juice and pulse a few more times until the dough starts to pull together. Turn onto a floured board and knead briefly into a disk. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
3. On a floured workspace, parchment, or Silpat, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a jellyroll pan and refrigerate while preparing the filling.
4. For the filling: In a large skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium-high until hot. Add the onions, stirring to separate the pieces, and cook for about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and sauté until the onions are golden, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the garlic and thyme and set aside to cool;  toss with the cheese.
5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the dough from the refrigerator.
6. In a food processor, chop the figs and prosciutto into small pieces; spread evenly over the crust, leaving about a 1 ½-inch border. Cover with the cheese-onion mixture and fold the crust over the filling, pleating the dough. Brush the dough with the egg mixture. 
7. Transfer to the oven and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove and let stand for 15 minutes before slicing.