How to Make a Shortcrust Pastry Dough

How to Make a Shortcrust Pastry Dough

Tarts need a great crust and this Shortcrust Tart Dough recipe is quick and simple to make and results in a rich, buttery and tender pastry crust.

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Chill time 15 minutes 15

Total Time 55

Servings slices

Calories 204kcal

Author Jere' Cassidy

Equipment

Ingredients

1 ¼ cups AP flour
¼ cup Powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon Salt
8 tablespoons butter cold
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoons ice water
1 tablespoons cream optional, can use water
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

How to mix the dough with a stand mixer

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment put the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl and mix at low speed to incorporate.
Cut the butter in cubes and then add to the bowl and beat on medium-low speed just until the texture resembles small peas. Do not overbeat. It is helpful to chill the butter cubes before mixing if it is a warm day.
In a small mixing bowl add the egg yolk, water, cream, and vanilla. Mix together then add to the mixing bowl and mix on low until the dough pulls away from the sides.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a 12" circle to fit the tart pan.
Roll the dough around the rolling pin and place it over the tart pan then unroll the dough and fit the pastry into the pan. Press the corners and edges of the dough to fit the pan, lifting the pastry as needed to fit into the pan.
Once the dough is in the tart pan there will be excess dough hanging over the sides of the pan. Take the rolling pin and roll it over the top of the tart pan to cut away the excess dough.
With the tines of a fork, press the tines into the dough to allow for venting.
Place the tart pan with the dough into the refrigerator and chill for 15 -30 minutes.

Blind Baking the Shortcrust Tart Dough

Heat the oven to 350° F.
Weigh down the tart dough before baking to keep it from puffing up and losing its shape.
Remove the tart dough from the refrigerator and cut a piece of parchment paper in a 12" circle and press on top of the tart dough.
Fill the tart dough pan with sugar to almost the top and spread into a flat layer making sure to get to the edges.
Place the tart pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until you can see the top of the tart dough has turned light golden brown.
To remove the sugar, scoop out the sugar until it is easy enough to pick up the parchment paper from the tart without spilling sugar.
The sugar is still good and can be reused. It may appear a bit golden in color but it is usable.
You now have a baked tart ready for filling.

Notes

Shortcrust Pastry Dough Notes:

Keep all the ingredients cold
Instead of the cream, you can use all water
If you are making a savory recipe, omit the vanilla
Make sure not to overmix which makes the dough tough
Chill the dough before baking.
Make sure to weigh the dough down before blind baking so the dough will keep its shape.
If it is warm in your kitchen chilling the dough before rolling is a good idea, then rechill again before baking.
You can make this dough and wrap it in plastic wrap then foil and freeze it for a month. Let thaw in the refrigerator before rolling.

Other methods for making a shortcrust pastry dough -

Mixing dough by hand

No food processor or mixer is required. In a large bowl add the flour, sugar, and salt. The next step is to cut the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter or two knives until the butter is broken down and the texture resembles small peas. Mix the egg yolk, cream, water, and vanilla together and mix into the flour and butter with a fork just until the dough pulls together. Continue to blind-bake the tart shell.

Mixing dough with a food processor

Add the dry ingredients to the food processor. Add small cubes of cold butter and pulse until the flour-coated butter is the size of large peas, approximately 6-8 pulses. Mix the egg yolk, cream, water, and vanilla together then add the egg mixture one tablespoon at a time, pulsing one time after each tablespoon until dough holds together when squeezed. Continue to blind-bake the tart shell.

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