Charred Red Pepper & Manchego Rough-Puff Slab: Weeknight Architecture
Paris cafés love charging fourteen euros for a slice of savory tart that usually has a crumb tight like a bad alibi. When I moved to the Bay Area, I wanted that same elegant lunch, but with a real, shattering crust and zero pretension.
I first threw this slab together after a manic farmers' market run. I'd blistered way too many red peppers and found a rogue wedge of aged Manchego in the cheese drawer. I rolled out my standby fridge rough puff, piled the smoky peppers and salty sheep's cheese high, and baked it flat on a sheet pan. It delivered the maximum crust-to-crumb ratio I crave.
We're not suffering for brunch, and you shouldn't either. The lamination-lite dough comes together in one bowl. Butter is not a garnish here—it's the architecture. Want to make it yours? Swap the Manchego for an aged Gruyère or scatter fresh thyme over the peppers before baking.
Cami's shortcut note: Blister the peppers a day ahead. The fridge is your friend; chilling them pulls out excess moisture so your pastry stays crisp.
Don't skip this: Keep your butter ice-cold. If your kitchen is hot and the dough softens, pause and chill it. Let time do the work.
Featured Recipe
Charred Red Pepper & Manchego Rough-Puff Slab
This is the weekend café lunch you usually pay fourteen euros for, built right on your sheet pan. We pair smoky, high-heat blistered red peppers with the salty, sheepy bite of aged Manchego, all riding on a ridiculously flaky, lamination-lite rough puff. Butter is not a garnish here—it’s the architecture.
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Timeline
Ingredients
- 3 large red bell peppers(Look for firm, heavy peppers)
- 250 g all-purpose flour(Plus extra for dusting)
- 1 tsp kosher salt(Divided use)
- 200 g cold cultured butter (cubed)(European-style, 82% butterfat)
- 60 ml ice water(Must be ice cold)
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar(Tenderizes the pastry crust)
- 150 g aged Manchego cheese(Grated on the large holes of a box grater)
- 1 large egg(For the egg wash)
- 1 tbsp olive oil(Good quality extra virgin)
- 1 clove garlic (smashed)(Peeled and gently crushed to release oils)
- 1 tsp sherry vinegar(Red wine vinegar works in a pinch)
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard(Sharp and smooth)
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves(For finishing)
- to taste salt(mentioned in step 7 as 'discarding the garlic clove', implying salt and pepper might have been used with the peppers)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your broiler to high. Place 3 large red bell peppers on a dry, foil-lined baking sheet. Broil, turning occasionally with tongs, until the skins are charred black and blistered all over.
15 min
Tip: Don't be timid with the char. You want the skins pitch black—this ensures an easy peel and deep, smoky flavor.
- 2
While the peppers broil, mix the rough-puff. In a wide bowl, toss 250g all-purpose flour and 1 tsp kosher salt. Add 200g cold cultured butter (cubed). Smush the cubes flat between your thumbs. Drizzle in 60ml ice water and 1 tsp apple cider vinegar. Bring it together into a shaggy mass, do one quick letter fold on the counter, and wrap tightly. The fridge is your friend—chill it immediately.
10 min
Tip: Visible streaks of butter in your dough equal a lacy crumb later. Do not overwork it.
- 3
Transfer the blistered peppers to a bowl and cover tightly with a plate. Let them steam. Switch your oven from broil to bake at 400°F (200°C).
10 min
Tip: Steaming traps the heat and separates the skin from the flesh.
- 4
While the peppers steam, grate 150g aged Manchego cheese. In a small ramekin, whisk 1 large egg with a splash of water for your egg wash.
5 min
Tip: Keeping the prep moving means we're not suffering for brunch timing.
- 5
Peel the skins off the steamed peppers and discard the seeds. Tear the flesh into thick, rustic strips. Pat them aggressively dry with paper towels. Toss the dry strips with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 clove garlic (smashed), and 1 tsp sherry vinegar.
5 min
Tip: Moisture is the enemy of flaky pastry. Pat them until they feel like dry suede. Never rinse them under water, or you'll wash away all that hard-earned smoke.
- 6
On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a 10x14-inch rectangle, about a quarter-inch thick. Transfer it directly to a parchment-lined sheet pan.
5 min
Tip: If the dough fights you and shrinks back, let it rest in the fridge for 5 minutes to relax the gluten.
- 7
Spread 2 tbsp Dijon mustard across the dough, leaving a clean 1.5-inch border. Scatter the grated Manchego evenly over the mustard. Shingle the marinated pepper strips over the cheese, discarding the garlic clove. Fold the border up and over the filling, pleating the corners as you go. Brush the exposed pastry with the egg wash.
5 min
Tip: Pleating is just folding paper. Don't stress the aesthetics—rustic means it's supposed to look a little wild.
- 8
Bake on the middle rack until the crust is deeply bronzed and the cheese is bubbling furiously. Let time do the work here; don't pull it early. Let it rest on the pan for 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves.
35 min
Tip: Cutting hot pastry collapses the lacy crumb into something tight like a bad alibi. Patience pays off.
Chef's Notes
Cami's shortcut note: If you are drowning in weeknight chaos and want to make this, you absolutely can use high-quality jarred roasted red peppers. But you must dry them. I mean aggressively. Pat them down until there is zero surface moisture. Any rogue liquid will turn your beautiful rough puff soggy. Don't skip the Dijon base layer—it acts as a flavor anchor and a moisture barrier.
Camille Roux
Café-level bakes, weeknight methods, zero compromise.
Camille “Cami” Roux was born in Paris with flour in her hair and a healthy skepticism of culinary dogma. She grew up around neighborhood boulangeries that treated crust and crumb like religion—but what stuck with her wasn’t rigid tradition. It was the quiet precision: good butter that actually tastes like milk, patient fermentation that builds flavor for free, and desserts that know when to stop before they get cloying. After moving to the Bay Area, Cami trained in a bread-and-pastry scene obsessed with texture, naturally leavened doughs, and seasonal fruit—Tartine energy, minus the martyrdom. She became known for loaves that sing when they cool, jammy tarts with clean edges, and “how is this so good?” weeknight pastries made with a few smart shortcuts. Her motto is high impact, low fuss: splurge where it counts (butter, salt, time), streamline the rest (sheet pans, one bowl, cold-proofing). If it doesn’t improve flavor or structure, it doesn’t earn a step.