Lemon Custard Tart recipe – make Breid Bakers’ delicious tart
It’s getting colder and our thoughts are turning to pastry treats. Lemon Custard Tart is one of Bethnal Green based bakery Breid Bakers’ most popular recipes. Now you can bring all this custardy, lemony deliciousness into your own home as Miller, who runs the bakery, has generously shared his recipe with us for you to enjoy.
Lemon Custard Tart Ingredients
Sweet Shortcrust pastry
- 215g Plain Flour
- 80g Icing Sugar
- 80g Cold Butter cut into small cubes
- Pinch of Salt
- 1medium eggs (45g)
Custard
- 9 Egg Yolks
- 100g Caster Sugar
- 450ml Double Cream
- 4 Lemons (Zest)
Making the Pastry
Sift the icing sugar into a bowl with the flour and salt. Add the cold butter cubes and rub them into the flour with your fingertips. Once you have achieved a consistency similar to breadcrumbs, add the eggs and combine to form a ball of dough (add a tiny bit of water if necessary). This should be dense and smooth. Flatten it with your hands or a rolling pin into a disc about 2 cm thick (this will make it easier to roll out later). Refrigerate for 1 hour.
It is possible to make this pastry in a food processor, adding the ingredients in the same order. With both techniques, the aim should be to achieve a smooth dough whilst handling or blitzing it as little as possible.
Making the Custard
Whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar thoroughly.
Heat the Double Cream and Lemon zest slowly until it is simmering. Remove from the heat and pour slowly into the eggs and sugar, whisking all the time. If possible, prepare this custard the day before and chill in the fridge overnight to infuse.
Rolling out the pastry case
Remove the pastry from the fridge. You may need to leave it out 5-10 mins before you are able to work with it. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry evenly in all directions with a rolling pin, turning when necessary until you have a disc about 5mm thick that will fit in the tart tin. Roll it up around the rolling pin and into the tin. Trim any excess pastry with a sharp knife. Prick the base gently with a fork and refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat your oven to 160C
Blind-baking the pastry case
Remove the case from the fridge, line the inside with greaseproof paper and fill with ceramic baking beans (or any dried foodstuff like dried chickpeas or beans). This will hold the edges of the case as it bakes. Bake for 12 minutes, remove the beans and bake again until golden brown (10-15mins). Remove and turn the oven down to 100c.
Baking the tart
Once the oven has cooled pour the custard into the pastry case, transfer carefully to the oven. Bake for 50 minutes, then check how the custard has set. It will likely need another 20-30 minutes. It is done when the edges are just set but the middle is still very wobbly when shaken gently. It will continue to cook a little once out the oven and should be lovely and soft once cooled.
There are endless combinations of flavours that you can adapt this tart to, these are some of Miller’s favourites:
Lemon and Elderflower (infuse the flowers in the custard)
Orange and Lavender
Vanilla and Nutmeg (grate the nutmeg over the top)
You can find Breid Bakers at Arch 70 Dunbridge St, London E2 6JG
Website: www.breidbakers.co.uk
Instagram: instagram.com/breidbakers
Twitter: @breidbakers
If you enjoyed this article, you might like to read our interview with Miller of Breid Bakers
