Warm the milk for the ferment until just tepid then pour into the bowl of a food mixer.

Crumble the yeast into the flour, add to the milk and whisk until you have a mixture like a thick porridge. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave for a minimum of 2 hours at room temperature.

Add all the dough ingredients to the ferment and mix for 3-4 minutes on a slow speed, then about 10 minutes at medium speed until the dough comes away cleanly from the sides of the bowl.

Lightly flour your work surface and turn out the dough. Fold it over on itself a few times then form it into a tight ball. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rest for at least an hour in a draught-free place.

To make the crème pâtissière, put the milk into a heavy-based saucepan with the vanilla pod.  Place over a low heat until the first bubble appears, and then remove from the heat.  Whisk together the egg yolks, caster sugar and plain flour.  Whisk one-third of the hot milk into the egg mixture, then add the remaining two thirds and whisk again.

Pour the mixture back into the pan and put back on the heat.  Bring to the boil, stirring constantly, after 30 seconds it will be done.  Keep whisking all the time to ensure the cream doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pan.  Pour into a dish to cool.

Note: to prevent a skin from forming, you can sprinkle a little icing sugar or flakes of butter over the top, or lay a piece of baking parchment paper over the top.  Remove vanilla pod before use.

Divide into the dough two balls. Freeze one at this point, or use it for doughnuts. Roll the remaining ball into a circle, roughly 23cm in diameter and about 5mm thick.

You can either lay the dough straight onto a non-stick baking tray, or if you want a neater edge, place a ring, about 23cm and lightly buttered and floured, on top of the tray, and lift the circle of dough into it. Cover again with a clean tea towel and leave to prove for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas 5, and ideally put a baking stone or upturned baking tray on the middle shelf to heat up – when you place your tray of dough on it, this will help to direct the heat quickly to the base of the tart.

Brush the top of the dough with the beaten egg. Scatter with flaked almonds. Place the baking tray on top of your baking stone or upturned tray in the oven for about 20-25 minutes until dark golden brown on the top.

If you lift an edge of the base with a palette knife, it should be light brown and firm underneath.

Take out of the oven, lift off the ring if using, and leave the tarte to cool on a rack.

To make the crème légère, take your cold crème pâtissière from the fridge and whisk it until it has the consistency of a light mayonnaise.

Whisk the double cream until thick and fluffy, then fold into the crème pâtissière.

Mix the orange flower essence into the crème légère and when the tarte is cool, slice in half horizontally and sandwich with the cream.
Dust the almonds with icing sugar.

Vin d’orange

Quarter 8 oranges and 2 lemons, leaving the skin on. Put a large Tupperware box (that has a lid) along with 5 litres of rosé wine, 1 litre vodka, 850g sugar, a bay leaf, 3 cloves and a stick of cinnamon.

Put on the lid and leave in the bottom of the fridge for 40 days, then filter, bottle and keep chilled.