Sweet Tart Dough (Pâte Sucrée)

If you are a regular reader you know that I love me some sweet tarts. Don’t get me wrong, I love pies (and cakes, and cookies, and ice cream, and just about anything with sugar in it;), but in my opinion the ratio of crust to filling in a tart is a better than a pie. Plus, I just think tarts are purty. I have quite a few sweet tarts on the ol’ recipe page and it’s about time that my favorite tart dough gets its own little space in the world. Make some this weekend and place it in the freezer for next week’s baking frenzy. And stay tuned for another delicious sweet tart recipe that will be perfect for the holiday table!

Sweet Tart Dough (Pâte Sucrée)

By Nicole Prep: 10 minsRefrigeration Time: 2 hrsTotal: 2 hrs 10 mins Servings: 1 tart dough Perfect dough for baking sweet tarts and pastries.

Equipment

• 14-cup food processor

Ingredients 

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
• ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 9 tablespoons (4 ½ ounces) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
• 1 extra-large egg

Instructions 

For the Dough

1. In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse until combined. Scatter the butter pieces over the flour. Process in short bursts until the butter is the size of peas. Add the egg and process in long pulses (about 5-7 seconds long) until the dough has started to clump. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the counter and dump the dough onto the surface. Using the plastic wrap and the back of your hands, gently press the dough into a disk. Wrap tightly with the plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. (Place the wrapped dough in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw completely in the refrigerator before rolling.)
2. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. If refrigerated overnight, let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12 to 14-inch circle, flouring the dough and surface as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Roll up the dough around the rolling pin and gently unroll it over the tart pan with a removable bottom. Fit the dough into the edge of the pan. Roll the rolling pin over the top of the pan to remove the excess dough; set in the refrigerator until ready to use.

To Blind-Bake

1. Preheat the oven to 375º F. Line the tart pan with aluminum foil and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the weights and foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Place on a rack to cool completely.

Notes

Dough can be tightly wrapped in plastic, placed in a freezer bag, and frozen for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before using.

Nutrition

Calories: 1882kcal, Carbohydrates: 203g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 108g, Saturated Fat: 66g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 28g, Trans Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 435mg, Sodium: 663mg, Potassium: 293mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 59g, Vitamin A: 3386IU, Calcium: 84mg, Iron: 10mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.