Description
Classic Pâte Sablée sweet shortcrust pastry perfect for tart shells, providing a delicate, buttery base with a tender crumb. This recipe guides you through making an almond-infused, crisp tart shell from scratch, ideal for all types of sweet tart fillings.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 90 g Powdered sugar
- 230 g Pastry flour (can be replaced with All purpose flour)
- 30 g Almond flour
- Pinch of salt
Wet Ingredients
- 110 g Unsalted butter (82% fat content, very cold, cut into chunks)
- 50 g Egg (approx. 1 egg at room temperature)
Instructions
- Prepare the butter: Cut unsalted butter into chunks and place them in the freezer for a few minutes to keep them very cold, which is crucial for the dough texture.
- Sift dry ingredients: Sift together the pastry flour, powdered sugar, almond flour, and pinch of salt to ensure they are well combined and free of lumps.
- Combine butter and dry mixture: Add the cold butter chunks to the dry ingredients and rub the mixture between your hands until it resembles sand in texture.
- Add egg and form dough: Mix in the egg with your hands until the dough begins to come together, then knead gently with the palm of your hand for 1-2 minutes until smooth, avoiding over-kneading.
- Chill dough if needed: If the dough feels too warm or sticky, refrigerate it for 10-15 minutes to firm up. Otherwise, roll the dough between two silicone baking mats to a 2mm thickness.
- Freeze dough for shaping: With the dough still between the mats, place it in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up without removing mats yet.
- Prepare tart shell assembly: Set up your oven rack with a perforated baking mat and place perforated tart rings on top. No greasing is needed as the pastry contracts during baking.
- Cut tart components: Remove the dough from freezer, peel off the top silicone mat, cut 8 long strips for tart sides and 8 circles with the tart ring for bottoms. Lift circles carefully with an offset spatula and place into rings.
- Handle dough temperature: If dough becomes too warm at any time, return to freezer for 5 minutes. The ideal dough temperature is pliable but not sticky or brittle.
- Form tart shells: Press strips into rings, attaching them to the bottom and sides carefully ensuring proper adhesion without breaking.
- Freeze tart shells: Place assembled tart shells in the freezer for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F) toward the end of freezing.
- Trim excess dough: Remove tart rings from freezer and trim excess dough from the top edges with a sharp knife for clean tart walls.
- Bake tart shells: Bake at 160°C (320°F) for 20 minutes, then carefully remove the rings and bake an additional 5-10 minutes until golden brown and fully crisp.
- Cool the shells: Allow tart shells to cool completely on the perforated baking mat before filling or storing.
- Storage instructions: Tart shells can be frozen (before or after baking) or stored in airtight containers at room temperature or refrigerated. When frozen, bake directly from frozen if unbaked, or thaw properly if baked before serving.
Notes
- Use very cold butter to achieve a crumbly, flaky pastry texture.
- Do not overwork or over-knead the dough to keep it tender.
- Maintaining proper dough temperature is crucial for ease of handling and good final texture.
- Perforated tart rings and mats help create an even bake and easy removal.
- Freezing assembled tart shells before baking prevents shrinkage and loss of shape.
- Trim the dough edges to create neat tart sides after freezing, before baking.
- Tart shells freeze well both before and after baking; bake from frozen if unbaked for best results.
- Store baked tart shells in airtight containers to keep them crisp and fresh for days.