SOFT SAVORY PIE with smart mold
The Soft Savory Pie is an easy and tasty alternative to the classic puff pastry savory pies, perfect for a quick lunch, a buffet, as an appetizer, or for happy hour.
An easy and quick recipe, and to prepare it you’ll need just a few simple ingredients that you probably already have at home like: flour, eggs, grated cheese, oil, milk, and a packet of Instant Yeast to create the base, a soft savory tart suitable for a thousand different fillings.
I use the smart mold to bake it, which is usually used for sweet tarts, what’s very practical about it is that it has a “step” so after baking it’s already ready with space for the filling and aesthetically perfect. It bakes in just 20 minutes in a fan oven and the result will be a golden and crispy base on the surface but soft inside.
Once the base is ready, you just have to flip it onto a plate and decide how to fill it!
In today’s recipe for the Soft Savory Tart, I chose spreadable cheese that I distributed over the entire base, then filled it with salami, cherry tomatoes, mini mozzarella balls, black olives, and lamb’s lettuce, but you can modify it as you like.
Indeed, for this soft savory pie, even creams and savory mousses like TUNA SAUCE (recipe HERE) or MORTADELLA MOUSSE (recipe HERE) are perfect. Then for decorating, both prosciutto, mortadella, or cooked ham, grilled vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, capers, in short, let your imagination run wild!
Prepare this soft savory tart with me, and you’ll amaze all your guests, whether it’s for a party, a buffet, or even a quick lunch or dinner!
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Easter Monday, Easter
- Energy 366.62 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 23.08 (g) of which sugars 1.75 (g)
- Proteins 11.41 (g)
- Fat 26.08 (g) of which saturated 4.53 (g)of which unsaturated 13.05 (g)
- Fibers 0.76 (g)
- Sodium 348.11 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for the Filled Soft Savory Pie
For a tastier base, you can add chopped herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano) to the dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 packet instant yeast for savory preparations
- 1 pinch fine salt
- 7 oz cream cheese
- salami (8-10 slices)
- cherry tomatoes (8-10 or only red or yellow and red)
- 1 oz lamb's lettuce (or arugula or baby leaf lettuce)
- mini mozzarella balls (8-10)
- A few black olives (or green)
- extra virgin olive oil (to season at the end)
- 1 pinch fine salt
Tools
- Bowl
- Electric whisk
- Mold
How to make the Soft Savory Pie
If you don’t have the smart mold for pies (I used THIS), you can use a regular cake pan of the same diameter but with high edges. For a medium-height savory tart, choose a 10-inch diameter, for a thinner one 11 inches, and if you prefer it higher, 9 inches. Obviously, the cooking times will vary slightly (the thinner it is, the less it cooks).
Sift the flour together with the Instant yeast and set it aside. In a bowl, place the eggs, milk, oil, grated cheese, and a pinch of salt and beat the mixture with a whisk until it has a homogeneous consistency. Add the sifted flour with the yeast and continue to mix to combine: you should obtain a smooth and lump-free dough.
Transfer the mixture into the previously buttered and floured smart mold (10 or 9 inches diameter) and level it with a spatula. (I used this “smart” mold). Bake in a preheated static oven at 350°F for 20-25 minutes. The times vary depending on the oven and the size of the mold. Once baked, remove it from the oven, place it on a plate, and let it cool.
When the base of the savory tart is completely cooled, you can fill it. I’m giving you the instructions for how I did it in this recipe, but feel free to use the mousse or sauce you prefer. First, I spread the cheese over the entire surface, leaving the edges free and leveling with a spatula (or knife). Then I placed the rest of the garnish randomly: salami, cherry tomatoes, olives, mini mozzarella balls, lamb’s lettuce. I seasoned with a drizzle of olive oil, and the savory tart is ready, a simple, quick, yet scenic appetizer!
VARIATIONS FOR THE FILLING
As I mentioned, once the base is prepared, the recipe is absolutely customizable, and you can vary the filling in many different ways according to your tastes and seasonality. For example:
TUNA CREAM: Make the base more flavorful by preparing tuna cream. Simply add 250 g of drained canned tuna to 250 g of cream cheese and mix to combine.
DELI MEATS: Instead of salami, use cooked ham, prosciutto, or even speck or bresaola.
VEGETABLES: Instead of lamb’s lettuce, arugula and valerian are also suitable. For a touch of color, choose yellow, red, and green tomatoes to combine. You can also leave out the salad and tomatoes and replace them with grilled vegetables.
LACTOSE-FREE: Choose lactose-free milk and grated cheese or plant-based alternatives for the base. For the filling, you can use a tuna sauce and then decorate your savory tart with salad, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and olives or capers.
STORAGE
You can prepare the base even the day before and store it in the fridge covered with plastic wrap, then add the filling just before serving. Once filled, store it in the fridge in a container for up to 2 days.
SOFT SAVORY PIE WITH BIMBY PROCEDURE
If you own this appliance, you can use it to help prepare the base of the savory tart. Simply place all the base ingredients in the Bimby bowl and process for 1 minute at speed 4-5, until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Can I prepare the soft savory pie in advance?
Yes, the soft savory pie can be prepared in advance. However, it is advisable to fill and decorate it just before serving to maintain the freshness of the ingredients.
What filling variations can I use for the soft savory pie?
The soft savory pie is very versatile and lends itself to various filling variations. You can use seasonal vegetables like zucchini, eggplants, peppers, or cheeses like ricotta, scamorza, provola, and deli meats like cooked ham, speck, salami.
Can I use a different type of flour other than all-purpose flour?
Yes, you can also use whole wheat or spelt flour, but in this case, it might be necessary to add a bit more liquid to the dough to achieve the right consistency.
