Formulas
Torta Russa
Developed for Progressive Baker by Philippe LeCorre
Rustic pastries are all the rage - with their focus on fruits, nuts and flour for delicious, natural flavor! This simple yet elegant torte relies on rich puff pastry, almonds and vanilla bean to create a special dessert. Use it to enhance your pastry line, and complement your artisan breads.
| Ingredients | Weight (oz) |
Metric Wt. (gm) |
Baker's % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puff Pastry | |||
| Progressive BakerŪ Artisan Bread Flour | 28.00 |
800 |
80% |
| Butter | 7.05 |
200 |
20% |
| Progressive BakerŪ Premium Baker's Salt | .70 |
20 |
2% |
| Malt | .35 |
10 |
1% |
| White Wine | 3.50 |
100 |
10% |
| Water (1) | 9.70 |
275 |
27.5% |
| Eggs | 50 |
5% |
|
| Butter for Folding | |||
| Butter | 28.00 |
800 |
80% |
| Progressive BakerŪ Artisan Bread Flour | 7.05 |
200 |
20% |
| Total dough weight (2) | 84.35 |
2455 |
|
1 The amount of water will depend on hydration of the flour. Butter for fold-in is a percentage of the total flour weight in the recipe.
2 Use 500 gm (17.64 o) of dough for one Torta Russa. Reserve remaining pastry for another use.
Filling
| Ingredients | Weight (oz) |
Metric Wt. (gm) |
|---|---|---|
| Butter | 7.05 |
200 |
| Powdered sugar | 7.05 |
200 |
| Progressive Baker® Premium Baker's Salt | 0.03 |
1 |
| Seeds of 1 vanilla bean | ||
| Zest of 1 lemon | ||
| Egg yolks | 6.70 |
133 |
| Almond meal | 5.85 |
166 |
| Whole almonds | 3.5 |
100 |
| Progressive BakerŪ Pastry Flour | 2.3 |
66 |
| Egg whites | 7.05 |
200 |
| Sugar | 2.3 |
66 |
| Total filling weight | 41.56 |
1266 |
Process
Prepare puff pastry
Dissolve salt in cold water. In mixer with hook attachment, mix flour, butter, salt, malt and water until well incorporated. Add eggs and white wine. Mix approximately 10 minutes on fast speed. Wrap dough in plastic film and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Mix folding butter and remaining bread flour. Flatten folding butter into square and reserve in refrigerator.
Place butter pad on top of lower half of dough. Fold dough in half, completely covering the butter and perform the following 5 steps:
1. Roll out the dough until its length is three times its width.
2. Fold the dough in thirds like a letter.
3. Rotate dough 90° and roll out until its length is four times its width.
4. Fold dough in fourths (Be sure to roll dough perpendicular to the first turn)
5. Wrap dough in plastic fil the refrigerate 45 minutes.
Remove dough from refrigerator and repeat 5 steps above. Dough is now ready to use.
Prepare filling
Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C.
Cream butter and powdered sugar in mixer, using whip attachment. Add vanilla bean seeds, salt and lemon zest. Slowly add egg yolk. Reserve small amount of whole almonds for topping. Add almond meal, remainder of whole almonds and pastry flour.
Whip egg whites and sugar to soft peak stage. Add to filling mixture.
Assembly
Line genoise mold with round piece of puff pastry, 2" larger than top of mold. Fill mold with almond filling. Sprinkle with reserved whole almonds. Fold excess puff pastry over filling. Sprinkle powdered sugar over top. Bake approximately 1 hour, 15 minutes.
Sprinkle top with additional powdered sugar. Increase temperature to 400°F/200°C for 10 minutes to brown top of cake.