This Pâte Sucrée Crust, with its sugar and egg yolk, is light, crisp, tender, slightly sweet, and sturdy enough to hold custards, creams, frangipane and curd fillings among others. It is a building block and master pastry for all sweet tarts.
It can be used for full size tarts as well as mini tarts and is easier than most tart shells to make. Four pantry ingredients is all it takes for this fantastic French crust. The Cinnamon Whiskey Tart is a good example of this tart shell.
Be sure to check back next week for the Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tart that's perfect next to the pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving.
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Recipe Ingredients
Clockwise from: Unsalted Butter, All Purpose Flour, Sugar and Egg Yolks
- All-purpose flour is used for its strength. Eggs and sugar are both tenderizers and with the large amount of butter, the flour has to be able to stand up.
- Egg yolks from size large eggs are used. They are the only binder in the crust and contribute a beautiful yellow color to the pastry, as well taste.
- Butter - This is a perfect place for European butter with its intensity of taste although I must admit I was out when I made this. Great either way.
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1. This is a 9 x 1 inch tart pan with a removable bottom which makes removing the tart a cinch.
Step 2. Cut the butter legnth-wise, then crosswise into smaller pieces. Refrigerate to keep cold.
Step 3. Pulse the flour in the food processor several times.
Step 4. Distribute the cold butter in a circle over the flour.
Step 5. Process to cut the butter into the flour so that it is indistinguishable.
Step 6. Pour the sugar over the flour/butter mixture in the food processor. Pulse several times to mix.
Step 7. Add the egg yolks to the food processor.
Step 8. Process the ingredients until they form a ball. Rearrange the dough as needed if it isn't forming a ball.
Step 9. Divide the pastry into one larger and two small balls to press into the tart pan.
Step 10. Spray the center of the tart pan only. Roll one piece of the smaller ball into a 14" rope.
Step 11. Place the rope of pastry on one side of the tart pan going a little over halfway around the inside.
Step 12. Place the second rope along the other edge making sure the ends overlap by about 1". Press them together firmly.
Step 13. Press the ropes of pastry firmly into the edges of the tart pan, making sure the seams of the ends are completely joined and no lines are showing.
Step 14. Press the edges down and out toward the center of the tart pan.
Step 15. Flatten the remaining piece of pastry and place it in the center of the tart pan.
Step 16. Press the center pastry to meet the edges.
Step 17. Seal the edges together so no seam shows and they are one.
Step 18. With the heel of your hand, press down on the top edge of the pan to flatten and even the completed crust which is now ready for the oven
Pâté Sucrée is French for "sweet dough" that is used for tarts. including fruit tarts and tarts with creamy filling. Although light and crisp in texture, it stays intact for creamy fillings and fruit tarts.
The shortcrust has more butter in the recipe resulting in a more flaky and crumbly baked shell requiring firmer fillings.
An American pie crust is usually made with shortening, not butter and has no sugar. Pea size pieces of shortening left in the finished dough makes it very flaky and tender. Pâté Sucrée is made with butter and sugar which are creamed together.
Storage
The pâté sucrée crust and be baked immediately filled or unfilled or it can be frozen for later use.
Expert Tips
- The pastry is ready to press in as soon as it comes from the processor. If, for any reason it is very soft, refrigerate briefly to firm up. Do not leave it in the refrigerator too long or it will be difficult to work with because of the large amount of butter.
- When baking the crust without a filling, be sure to line the shell with foil. It is strong enough to hold the pie weights or beans without breaking when removed. Do not use parchment paper. It can and will break scattering hot pie weights or beans everywhere.
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The Easiest Pâte Sucrée Crust
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour (175 grams or 6 ¼ ounces)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces (114 grams or 4 ounces
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams or 1 ¾ ounces)
- 2 large egg yolks
Instructions
- Have a 9”x1” tart pan with a removable bottom for the tart handy.
- Place the flour in the bowl of a processor. Pulse several times.
- Place the cold butter over the flour and process until the butter is indistinguishable.
- Pour the sugar over the mixture and process briefly to mix in.
- Add the yolks and process until the crust comes together in a ball. This may take a bit. Reorganizing the pastry in the processor helps. If your processor is a smaller one, divide the mixture in half and process each half separately. Join the two pieces together by kneading them a few times.
- Divide the dough in half (about 180 grams or 6 ⅓ ounces each piece).
- Divide one half in half again (about 90 grams or 3 ounces each).
- Roll one of the smaller pieces of dough into a 14" rope that will go a little over halfway around the inside of the tart pan.
- Repeat with the second half, overlapping the edges of the dough. Press the edges together so no line appears.
- Press the pastry into the edges of the pan.
- Press the dough about 1" into the bottom of the pan towards the center.
- Flatten the remaining half of the dough and place it in the center of the pan. Press it out to join the edge dough. Join these completely so there is no line that can be seen.
- To partially bake the shell, freeze the crust until hard. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Tear a piece of foil about 13" long and spray one side of it with a non-stick baking release. Line with the crust with the foil, sprayed side down. Fill the pan to the top with pie weights or with beans.Bake for 20 minutes, remove the weights carefully by grasping all four corners of the foil and lifting out. Return the crust to the oven and bake for about 5 minutes more until about two thirds done baked. It should not be completely baked but should be firm.
- To completely bake the crust, follow the above instructs and bake until golden brown.
Notes
- The pastry is ready to press in as soon as it comes from the processor. If, for any reason it is very soft, refrigerate briefly to firm up. Do not leave it in the refrigerator too long or it will be difficult to work with because of the large amount of butter.
- When baking the crust without a filling, be sure to line the shell with foil. It is strong enough to hold the pie weights or beans without breaking when removed. Do not use parchment paper. It can and will break scattering hot pie weights or beans everywhere.
- The pastry is ready to press in as soon as it comes from the processor. If, for any reason it is very soft, refrigerate briefly to firm up. Do not leave it in the refrigerator too long or it will be difficult to work with because of the large amount of butter.
- When baking the crust without a filling, be sure to line the shell with foil. It is strong enough to hold the pie weights or beans without breaking when removed. Do not use parchment paper. It can and will break scattering hot pie weights or beans everywhere.
Nutrition
Diane Perris says
What an easy and lovely dough to work with! Don't be tempted to chill for a long time and roll out, as is often done with tart pastry. There is a reason Helen instructs to apply the dough to the tart pan in stages; if you try to roll it out and lay it in it will break into pieces. I know because I tried this the first time. I was testing a block of marble for pastry making but this was not the dough to test with. Fortunately it was very simple to piece together in the tart pan anyway. I chilled it briefly after shaping, then par baked as instructed. It held up well for my filling of orange ricotta and chocolate, and had just the right hint of sweet. This will become my go-to for many kinds of sweet tarts.
Helen S Fletcher says
Diane, I'm not sure what recipe you were following. The Easiest Pate Sucree Pastry Crust isn't rolled out. It's a press in because it is literally foolproof. I would never try to roll it out and put in in the tart pan for the reasons you stated. Do send me the link to the crust you made. I vaguely remember one crust that I rolled out the bottom, but never did I roll out the crust and try to place it in the entire pan. And even that one, I would have chilled or frozen the rolled out bottom before placing it in the pan. Happy it worked your way.....but I can guarantee my way is easier.
Danetta says
I love the recipes like this one that show the building blocks of making pastries and then let you use your imagination.
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Danetta, that's the fun of baking. It can be individualized by anyone.
Mark Mayer says
I’m taking the time to write a belated review. This was truly excellent and not too sweet. One further note. Tart crusts always frustrated me. How could someone who has baked a zillion cakes ( a lot more can go wrong here- chemistry is chemistry) consistently mess up tart dough? Follow Helen’s “double rope” technique for creating the crust and you will never have trouble with an ugly or malformed crust again. Thanks, Helen!
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Mark - happy to hear from you. When I had the bakery we did everything by hand. I had to find a way to teach employees and easy way to make the many crusts we made. Happy it works for you too.
Susan says
Good morning,
This is such a game changer for me in how to line a pastry tin. Thank you so much for the method!
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Susan - Baking and Pastry have the reputation of being difficult. I love to pass along easier, faster methods without compromising the recipe. Happy to have helped.
Hilda Willman says
Helen: Have you stopped spraying the bottom of the pan? Your European Tarts book (which is my go-to virtually every time I make dessert) calls for spraying the bottom only of the tart pan with releasing spray. Making my first of two Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tarts for gatherings next week and want to make sure I get them right. Happy Thanksgiving, Helen! And belated Happy 83rd Birthday!!
Paule-Marie Bunyan says
I've been baking since my grandmother taught me when I was 8 or 10 - 70th birthday coming up next month.
I love how you put the pate sucre in the tart pan. Much easier than I have been doing it for years.
I'm curious though, why no salt? The recipe I've been using since the mid 60's, used salted butter. When I started making it with unsalted butter, it was bland.
I will be switching to your method and recipe for this year's pumpkin cheesecake crust. Never too late to update a recipe I like.
Helen S Fletcher says
Hello Paule-Marie - I just had my 83rd. It's a great time of life!. Some recipes have salt, others don't. Some use salted butter, some don't. There is no right or wrong. It is personal taste. If you are used to salted crusts, this may well be bland. For me, I want the taste of the butter to be dominant. Do add salt if that is what you enjoy.
SallyBR says
a classic, and with your detailed explanations, I am sure anyone can do it!
I have intense dislike for blind-baking with weights (especially when making mini-tarts) - would this work in blind baking with just a little pricking with forks, or would it puff too much?
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Sally - why don't you like blind baking. So many things can be done with a baked crust. Just curious.
SallyBR says
I don t mind in a big tart, but the mini ones it is so much hassle, get the parchment in, the whole process is kind of tedious when making say 12 of those….
Helen S Fletcher says
You're using the wrong recipe for the little ones. No parchment,no beans, just dough.