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Easy Pâte Sucrée (Sweet Tart Crust)

This easy pâte sucrée recipe comes together within minutes, and is the perfect beginner-friendly base recipe for all of your favorite tarts!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Resting Time 2 hours
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Servings 2 8 inch tart shells

Equipment

  • Food processor (Please see recipe for how to make by hand)
  • Bench scraper, if making by hand

Ingredients
  

  • 208g (1 2/3 cups) All purpose flour
  • 125g (1 cup) Powdered sugar
  • 84g (6 tbsp) Unsalted butter, cold
  • 1 Medium egg (50g)

Instructions
 

Using a food processor

  • Add the flour and powdered sugar to the food processor. Mix on medium speed for a few seconds until combined
  • Cut the cold butter into tablespoon size pieces and add to the food processor. Pulse until the butter has broken into very small pieces, and the mixture has a sandy texture.
  • Add the egg. Mix on medium speed until the dough comes together into a smooth ball
  • Flatten the dough into a disk and cover with plastic wrap. Rest for a minimum of 2 hours in the fridge before using

Make by hand

  • Mix together the flour and powdered sugar, and place in a mound on your clean countertop
  • Cut the cold butter into small cubes, about 1 - 2cm wide. Place the butter in the middle of the dry ingredients
  • Use a bench scraper to repeatedly cut the butter into the dough until the butter is pea-sized or smaller. Gently rub the butter and flour in a gentle back and forth motion between the palm of your hands. This helps distribute the butter more evenly and break down the butter even more
  • For a well in the middle of the ingredients, and add the egg in the center of the well. Use your bench scraper to cut the egg into the dry ingredients
  • Keep cutting with your bench scraper until the egg is combined with the dry ingredients. Smear the dough across the counter with the palm of your hand to fully incorporate everything. Keep smearing and gathering the mixture until a smooth dough forms. Avoid kneading, as this toughens the gluten
  • Flatten the dough into a disk and cover with plastic wrap. Rest for a minimum of 2 hours in the fridge before using

Notes

  1. The dough needs to be rested before using so that the gluten relaxes. Otherwise, the tart shells may shrink while baking. 
  2. Tart dough freezes very well. Make sure to wrap and store in an airtight bag so it does not get freezer burn.
Keyword tart