Rustic Winter Fruit Tart

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/176°C for 30 minutes. 
2. To create date paste, cover dates with just enough boiling water to cover. Soak until soft. Or, microwave 60-90 seconds. Cool. Blend with soaking water in a food processor until very smooth and uniform, scraping down bowl sides periodically. Consistency should be like a light frosting and spread easily. If too dense, dilute slightly with water. Set aside. 
3. A day or two before you plan to bake: In a medium mixing bowl add the water, sprinkling the yeast over its surface. Wait 10 minutes before adding flour, date paste and mashed banana, mixing to achieve a wet, sticky dough. Rest dough for 10 minutes. Remove to a floured board, flatten the dough, fold in thirds. Pull, flatten, fold repeatedly, in different directions, using a dough scraper and adding flour as needed to handle the dough. 
4. Return dough to bowl. Cover with plastic or a tight-fitting lid and place in fridge to develop, ferment lightly, and expand over 24-36 hours. Remove the dough once or twice in the interim to stretch and fold again, adding a little flour as needed to develop its crumb and strengthen the dough. Return to fridge. 
5. For filling, zest and juice lemon. Add juice to a large mixing bowl. Wash, core and dice pears and apples. Stir into the lemon juice, coating the fruit well to prevent oxidation. Rehydrate the raisins in a small bowl with boiling water or microwave 1 minute. Drain after 3 minutes. Set aside. 
6. Three hours before you plan to bake, allow the dough and date paste to come to room temp. Stretch and fold dough a few more times. On a well-floured board, roll out the dough into a large disc 3/8 inches or 0.5 centimeters thick or a large rectangle/oblong for a free form medieval tart, dusting it with flour on both surfaces as you roll to prevent sticking. 
7. For a pie, transfer to a Pyrex pie dish. Press gently into the dish and trim a wider circle, approximately 2-3 inches beyond the dish lip perimeter. For a free form tart, extend dough on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. With a knife or angled spatula, spread a thin coat of date paste over crust interior. 
8. Stir the zest into the fruit and fill the pie dish or pile over the center of the tart dough, mounding the fruit in the center. Add the raisins, gently mixing some into the apples and pear mixture. Fold the dough edges over the fruit and with a pair of scissors, trim the edge to create irregular triangular points. 
9. Dilute ¼ cup or so of date paste with water to achieve a thin, watery glaze. Brush on the top of the fruit and dough. 
10. Bake 30 minutes and observe. Reglaze and return to continue baking. If crust darkens before fruit has softened and released its juices, cover crust with foil or piecrust shield. Remove when crust is golden, fruit has softened and juices are bubbling. 
11. Transfer to a rack to cool and reglaze one final time. The tart is best served after cooling completely, which enables the crust to absorb the caramelized fruit juices. Then rewarm and serve. Yum!