No More Soggy Bottoms: The Polenta Leek Tart
Growing up in Paris, the tarte aux poireaux (leek tart) was a café staple. But nine times out of ten, the crust was tight like a bad alibi and completely waterlogged. We're not suffering for brunch, and we absolutely refuse to eat a soggy bottom. This Melted Leek & Jammy Egg Breakfast Tart is my fix. I rebuilt it with a blind-baked polenta crust. The cornmeal adds a shatteringly crisp texture that acts as a waterproof shield for the slow-melted leeks. Butter is not a garnish here—it is the fat that coaxes those alliums into a sweet, jammy submission. Let time do the work; rush them, and they turn grassy. Crack the eggs straight into the tart during the last few minutes of baking until the whites are set but the yolks still wobble. That wobble is your visual cue. Cami’s shortcut note: You can make the dough three days ahead. The fridge is your friend, relaxing the gluten for maximum flake. Don’t skip this: Salt your leeks aggressively while they cook to draw out moisture. Want to make it your own? Swap the leeks for caramelized fennel or add a fistful of sharp Gruyère. Just keep that crust crisp.
Featured Recipe
Melted Leek & Jammy Egg Breakfast Tart (Blind-Baked Polenta Crust)
A Parisian café classic rebuilt for your kitchen. A shatteringly crisp, blind-baked polenta crust acts as a waterproof shield for slow-melted, jammy leeks and perfectly soft-baked eggs. We're not suffering for brunch, but we absolutely refuse to eat a soggy bottom.
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Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups All-purpose flour(Plus more for dusting)
- 1/4 cup Fine cornmeal or polenta(Adds a necessary crunch to the crumb)
- 1 tsp Kosher salt(Divided use)
- 10 tbsp Cultured unsalted butter(8 tbsp cubed and ice cold for dough, 2 tbsp for melting leeks)
- 4 tbsp Ice water(Keep it freezing cold)
- 3 whole Large leeks(White and light green parts only, halved and sliced thin)
- 1 tsp Apple cider vinegar(Cuts the richness of the butter)
- 1 tbsp Fresh thyme leaves(Roughly chopped)
- 4 whole Large eggs(Room temperature if possible)
- 1/2 cup Gruyère or Comté cheese(Freshly grated)
- 1 pinch Flaky sea salt(To finish)
- 1 pinch Black pepper(Coarsely ground)
Instructions
- 1
In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/4 cups All-purpose flour, 1/4 cup Fine cornmeal or polenta, and 1/2 tsp Kosher salt. Toss in the cold, cubed butter. Using your fingers, smash the butter pieces into the flour until the mixture looks like wet sand with large, pea-sized chunks of butter remaining. Drizzle in 3 tbsp Ice water one tablespoon at a time, mixing gently until the dough just holds together when squeezed. Why it works: Leaving visible butter creates steam pockets during baking, giving you a lacy, flaky crust.
10 min
Tip: If the butter starts getting soft and greasy, put the whole bowl in the fridge for 5 minutes.
- 2
Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, shape it into a flat disk, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to relax the gluten and chill the butter.
30 min
Tip: Fridge is your friend. You can leave this overnight if you are planning ahead.
- 3
While the dough chills, melt 2 tbsp Cultured unsalted butter in a wide skillet over medium-low heat. Add 3 whole Large leeks, sliced and the 1/2 tsp Kosher salt. Cook low and slow, stirring occasionally, until they collapse into a sweet, jammy tangle. This takes time, do not rush it. Off heat, stir in 1 tsp Apple cider vinegar and 1 tbsp Fresh thyme leaves. Let it cool.
25 min
Tip: Butter is not a garnish here; it is the medium that transforms the leeks from harsh to meltingly soft.
- 4
On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough out to an 11-inch circle. Carefully drape it into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, pressing it gently into the corners without stretching the dough. Trim the overhang. Prick the bottom lightly with a fork.
10 min
Tip: Never stretch pastry to fit a pan; it will shrink right back in the oven.
- 5
Place the tart pan in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up the edges. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
15 min
Tip: Freezing the dough right before baking locks the butter in place so the crust holds its shape.
- 6
Take a sheet of parchment paper and crumple it into a tight ball, then smooth it back out. Line the frozen tart shell with the crumpled parchment and fill it completely to the brim with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes.
20 min
Tip: Crumpling the parchment paper makes it flexible so it sits flush against the dough without tearing it.
- 7
Remove the tart from the oven and carefully lift out the parchment and weights. Return the naked crust to the oven for another 10 minutes until the bottom looks dry and the edges are deeply golden. Don't skip this. A soggy bottom ruins a good tart.
10 min
Tip: If the bottom puffs up slightly, gently press it back down with the back of a spoon.
- 8
Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). Spread the cooled, jammy leeks evenly across the bottom of the hot crust. Using a spoon, make 4 deep divots in the leek mixture. Carefully crack 1 whole Large egg into each divot. Scatter 1/2 cup Gruyère or Comté cheese generously around the eggs, avoiding the yolks.
5 min
Tip: Cracking eggs into a small ramekin first guarantees you won't get rogue shells in your beautiful tart.
- 9
Bake the tart for 12 to 15 minutes. Watch the visual cues: you want the egg whites to turn completely opaque, but the yolks should still jiggle and wobble when you tap the edge of the pan. Remove from the oven, finish with 1 pinch Flaky sea salt and 1 pinch Black pepper, and serve warm.
15 min
Tip: The eggs will continue to cook slightly from the residual heat of the leeks.
Chef's Notes
Cami's shortcut note: Do not let pastry intimidate your morning. You can make the dough, roll it, freeze it, and fully blind bake the crust up to two days in advance. Keep it wrapped at room temperature. The leeks can also be cooked ahead and kept in the fridge. When you are ready to eat, simply assemble and bake. We want high impact with zero dawn-patrol stress.
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.