Ingredients

Crust and Topping

• 3 cups flour
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 large lemon zest
• ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
• 3 eggs, slightly beaten

Strawberry Filling

• 4 cups fresh strawberries, cut in half
• 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ¾ cup sugar

Instructions

1. Set your oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9×13 baking pan by lining it with parchment paper, leaving extra hanging over the sides to help lift the bars out later.
2. In a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Mix on low speed until everything is evenly blended.
3. Add the cold butter cubes and continue mixing until the texture resembles small crumbs with pea-sized bits of butter.
4. Pour in the beaten eggs and mix just until a crumbly dough forms.
5. Take about two-thirds of the dough and press it firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Set aside.
6. In a separate large bowl, stir together the strawberries, lemon juice, cornstarch, and sugar until well coated.
7. Spread the strawberry mixture evenly over the crust layer using a spatula.
8. Break the remaining dough into small pieces and scatter it over the strawberry layer.
9. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top turns lightly golden.
10. Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely in the pan before lifting them out and slicing.

• If your strawberries are especially sweet, you can reduce the sugar in the filling to ½ cup. Keep in mind this will result in less syrup forming on top.
• The shape of your bars may vary depending on your pan—metal pans tend to give sharper edges than glass ones.
• Use butter straight from the fridge to get the right crumbly texture.
• Since oven temperatures can differ, start checking the bars toward the earlier end of the baking time.
• The topping will puff slightly as it bakes, creating a mix of crisp edges and soft pockets around the fruit.