This classic French Pastry dough called "Pâte Sablée" is the perfect Tart Crust to use with a fruit or chocolate filling. Made with 5 ingredients only, this all-butter French Shortcrust Pastry can be made by hands or in the food processor.
Mix the Flour, Icing Sugar and Salt in the bowl of your Food Processor. Add the cold Butter cut into small cubes, then pulse to blend until you get very thin crumbs. You shouldn't see any large lumps of butter anymore.
Add the Egg, preferably pre-whisked, and slowly blend until the dough starts to form (see note 1). Remove from the food processor and bring the dough together into a ball.
Making the Pastry By Hands
Sift the Flour, Icing Sugar and Salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine, then add the cold Butter cut into small cubes. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients using your fingers or a Pastry Blender (see note 2).
Add the Egg, preferably pre-whisked, and work it with the rest of the ingredients with your fingers, either in the mixing bowl or on your kitchen bench (see note 3). You should get a smooth, slightly soft dough.
Rolling, Resting & Lining the Tart Pan
Assemble the dough into a large ball and place it between two sheets of baking paper. Roll into a large circle that is 4mm thick (1/8-inch) with a Rolling Pin (see note 4). Place the rolled pastry over a flat tray and leave in the fridge to rest and chill for at least an hour, or up to 24 hours.
Remove the two layers of baking paper and place the pastry inside your Tart Ring or Pan. Slide the dough along the edges of the pan and try to make sure you get a sharp 90 degree angle between the bottom and the sides of the pan (see note 5).
Place back in the fridge to rest and chill for at least an hour, or up to 24 hours.
Dock the Pastry by pricking the bottom with a Fork. Optionally, cover with baking paper and cover with baking weights, rice or beans.
To par-bake: Preheat your oven on 160 degrees Celsius / 325 degrees Fahrenheit and place the tart crust in the freezer in the meantime. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Leave to cool down before adding the filling and placing back in the oven.To fully blind bake: Preheat your oven on 160 degrees Celsius / 325 degrees Fahrenheit and place the tart crust in the freezer in the meantime. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden and dry to the touch. Leave to cool down completely before adding your choice of filling.
Optional: to seal the pastry, take the crust out of the oven halfway through the baking and brush it with an egg yolk (for a golden finish) or an egg white. Place back in the oven to finish baking.
Notes
Yield: this recipe will make one large tart up to 25 cm wide (10-inch), or about 9 tartlets that are 10cm wide (4-inch).Instruction Notes:
At this point, you should see large lumps and crumbs of dough. If you press the lumps in your hands, they should stick together. Try not to over-mix the pastry at this point.
That is done by rubbing the small cubes of butter into the powders until you get small crumbs and can't see large lumps of butter or loose powders.
You can use the "fraisage" technique, which is done by pressing small chunks of dough against a hard surface with the palm of your hands in a linear movement. This mixes the egg, butter and dry ingredient very homogeneously. If too dry to combine, add a little bit of very cold water, 1/2 tablespoon at the time. If too sticky, add a little bit of flour, 1/2 tablespoon at the time.
The thickness is up to you and can be rolled thicker if preferred. I don't recommend going thinner that 4mm or the tart might burn in the oven,
If using a Pastry Ring, do that step oven a lined flat tray. You might need to let the pastry come back to room temperature for a few minutes if it seems to hard to handle or starts to crack. If it becomes very soft and difficult to handle, place back in the fridge for a few minutes.