Blackberry Brown Betty with Sourdough Crumbs

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Food processor or box grater
• •2-quart ceramic or earthenware baking dish
• •Large mixing bowl

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the sourdough crumbs

   Tear your day-old sourdough into rough pieces and pulse in a food processor until you have coarse, irregular crumbs. Some should be the size of peas, others like coarse sand. This variety creates texture: the larger pieces crisp into craggy bites while the finer crumbs meld with the fruit. If you lack a food processor, grate the bread on a box grater or simply tear it into small pieces by hand.

   Truly stale bread works best. If your loaf is still soft, spread the pieces on a baking sheet and dry them in a 300F oven for ten minutes.
2. 2

   Butter the crumbs

   Pour the melted butter over the crumbs and toss thoroughly with your hands. Every piece should glisten. Add half the brown sugar, the cinnamon, and the salt. Toss again until the mixture looks like damp sand flecked with brown sugar. Set aside one third of this mixture for the top layer.

3. 3

   Prepare the berries

   Gently toss the blackberries with the remaining brown sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla. Be careful here. The berries should stay whole, not crushed. Let them sit while you preheat your oven to 375F. In those few minutes, they will release a bit of juice and the sugar will begin to dissolve.

   Taste a berry before you add sugar. Wild berries vary wildly. Adjust sweetness to what the fruit tells you it needs.
4. 4

   Layer the Betty

   Butter a 2-quart baking dish, something ceramic or earthenware that can go from oven to table. Spread one third of the buttered crumbs in an even layer on the bottom. Add half the berries. Another layer of crumbs. The remaining berries. Finish with the reserved crumb mixture, pressing gently so the top makes good contact with the fruit beneath.

5. 5

   Bake until jammy

   Bake uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes. The Betty is ready when the juices bubble up around the edges, thick and syrupy, and the top has turned deep golden brown. The crumbs should look crisp and almost caramelized. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the final fifteen minutes.

6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Let the Betty cool for at least fifteen minutes before serving. This rest allows the juices to thicken and the layers to set. Serve warm, not hot, with cold heavy cream poured over so it pools around the edges and mingles with the purple juices. Vanilla ice cream is also good, though the simplicity of plain cream lets the berries speak.

   Leftover Betty reheats beautifully in a 350F oven for fifteen minutes. The crumbs re-crisp and it tastes almost as good as fresh.

Chef Tips

• •Seek out wild blackberries if your region has them. They are often smaller and more intensely flavored than cultivated varieties. Farmers' markets in late summer are your best source.
• •The sourdough's tang is part of the recipe. If you substitute plain white bread, the dessert will be sweeter and less complex. Use what you have, but know the difference.
• •Save bread heels and ends in your freezer throughout the week. When you have enough, you are halfway to a Brown Betty without spending a cent more.
• •If blackberries are out of season, this works beautifully with peak-season peaches in summer, apples in fall, or rhubarb in spring. Adjust sugar to the fruit's sweetness.

Advance Preparation

• •The buttered crumb mixture can be made up to two days ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before assembling.
• •The assembled Betty can be refrigerated unbaked for up to four hours. Add five minutes to the baking time if baking cold.
• •Baked Betty keeps covered at room temperature for one day. The crumbs will soften but the flavor remains good.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 170g)