Step 1

Cut the butter into pieces and mix it with the flour and a pinch of salt, rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Step 2

Beat the egg yolks and add in the seeds from half a vanilla bean pod; add the eggs to the butter-flour mixture along with the sugar and, if desired, a pinch of lemon zest. Knead quickly until the dough is smooth. Let rest, covered, in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Step 4

Roll out 2/3 of the dough with a rolling pin on a floured work surface until it is around 1/8" thick and line a smooth-edged pie dish (8" diameter) with it. Trim the excess with a knife: fold the edges down towards the inside, then press them against the wall of the pie dish so that they are thicker than the base.

Step 5

Fill the crostata with the preserves; roll out the remaining dough and cut it into 1/2" wide strips. Arrange them in a grid pattern on top of the preserves, pressing the ends into the edges to secure them. Decorate the edge of the crostata using a pastry cutter or the handle of a piece of cutlery; bake at 350°F for around 30 minutes. Let cool before removing it from the pan so that it detaches more easily.