Pâte Brisée (Sweet Pastry Dough)

This delightful French Tart Crust recipe yields a light and flaky pastry that forms the perfect foundation for any sweet or savory tart. Whether you’re planning to create a luscious fruit tart or a savory quiche, this crust will elevate your culinary creations to new heights. You can use this crust for all of your tarts, including quiches. You can double the recipe to make two tarts. Don’t try to do more than twice the recipe a time. It’s much better to handle it in small
batches. The secret to its exceptional flakiness lies in the traditional French technique of “fraisage,” which involves smearing the dough to create distinct layers of butter and flour. The result is a buttery and tender crust that crumbles delicately with each bite.

YIELD: Makes one 10-inch tart crust

INGREDIENTS:

• 1¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons (200 grams) flour
• 7 tablespoons (100 grams) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1⅔ tablespoons (20 grams) sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon (4 grams) salt
• 1 tablespoon ice-cold water

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Using a knife or bench scraper, cut the cold butter into 1-inch pieces.
2. On your work surface, create a pile with the cold butter and flour. Cut the flour and butter together using a bench scraper or pastry cutter until the butter is reduced to pea-sized pieces. Work quickly to prevent the butter from softening.
3. Gather the butter-flour mixture and form a circle with a well in the center, resembling a wide, flat volcano with a 3- to 4-inch open space in the middle, which the chefs fondly call a “fountain.”
4. Into the center of the fountain, add the ice-cold water, egg, sugar, and salt. With your fingers, mix these ingredients until the salt and sugar dissolve. Use the pastry/bench scraper to cut the liquid into the flour and butter, resulting in a shaggy dough with streaks of butter.
5. Line up the dough in a long row in front of you, about 2 inches wide, 1 inch high, and 12 inches long. Smear a third of the dough straight ahead using the heel of your hand, taking small amounts as you work across the dough, either left to right or right to left. Repeat the smearing process until you’ve made two to three passes, and the dough is combined, though some butter streaks may remain.
6. Flatten the dough into a disk about 6 inches in diameter and ½ inch thick. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or parchment paper if using the same day, and chill it in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes.

TIP!

The French term for smearing the dough is “fraisage” (pronounced freh-zey). This technique creates layers of butter and flour, resulting in a flaky crust. Keeping the ingredients cold and using the smearing method instead of mixing ensures a light and flaky dough. Avoid overworking the dough, as it can develop gluten, leading to a tough and elastic texture. Resting and chilling the dough before rolling it out will make the process much easier.

Now that you’ve mastered the art of creating a buttery and flaky French Tart Crust, you can fill it with your favorite sweet or savory fillings to create a delightful and memorable tart. Enjoy!