To make our fresh fig tart, we will need a fluted round pan with a maximum diameter of 8-9 inches.

Let’s start with the wheat shortcrust pastry.

In a very large bowl, sift the all-purpose or 0 flour very well (0 flour may require an extra yolk to achieve the right consistency as it absorbs more liquids).

Add the sugar, salt, and the finely grated zest of an entire lemon.

Mix the powders (i.e., the dry ingredients) with your hands, add all the yolks.

Mix well and finally add the cold butter cut into small cubes.

Knead quickly (by hand or mixer) to avoid overheating the dough. It doesn’t matter if the butter has not been perfectly absorbed by the dough. If you find that the dough is too hard, you can add another yolk.

Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and flatten it with a rolling pin to form a sort of circle about 0.4 inches thick. Transfer it immediately to the fridge, in the coldest part. Let it rest for a minimum of 2 hours to a maximum of 12 hours. The longer the shortcrust pastry rests in the cold, the better it is.

After the resting time of the shortcrust pastry, let’s take care of the fresh figs, which should be ripe but not too ripe, as they might release too much liquid during cooking, which could ruin the base; if your figs are very ripe, I’ll show you a little trick (maybe you already know it) to prevent the bases of shortcrust, brisée, or puff pastries from getting too wet, ruining them.

Wash the figs under running water and pat them dry. We can decide whether to leave the skin on or not; in the latter case, remove it completely.

Cut the fruits into 2 or 4 wedges, depending on their size.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Take the dough out of the fridge. With a rolling pin, continue to roll it out until it is about 0.4 inches thick.

Using the parchment paper for assistance, place the dough in the pan, remove the sheet from the surface, and even out the shortcrust pastry inside the pan

Fill the tart with the already cut fig wedges, filling every space.

Finish with a sprinkle of brown sugar (or granulated) and a little lemon zest grated very, very finely.

As I mentioned earlier, if your figs are too ripe or you don’t want to risk it, before adding them, brush the inside of the shortcrust pastry well with an egg white, which will make it perfectly waterproof.

Bake the tart in the center of the oven for about 40 minutes or until it is evenly golden both underneath and on the edges.

Remove it from the oven and wait until it is completely cool before removing it from the pan to avoid breaking it.