Pâte Sucrée Tart Dough
Pâte sucrée is one of the classic French sweet tart doughs. It’s known for a crisp texture and a nice, clean structure once baked. Unlike more delicate tart doughs, pate sucrée bakes into a crisp shell that holds its shape well and slices well. Even when chilled. This makes it a great choice for soft or chilled fillings where the pastry needs to add some support.
About this recipe
This pâte sucrée recipe is made with flour, powdered sugar, butter, egg, and salt. It is the base for quite a few French tart crusts, but the difference comes with how it’s mixed. In sucrée, the butter and sugar are creamed first to create a smooth base before the egg and flour are added. This method makes a dough that rolls easily and bakes evenly, with enough structure to support delicate fillings.
The dough is chilled before rolling, and again once it’s lined into the tart pan. These resting times are important. They relax the gluten and help prevent shrinkage, keeping the edges tidy during baking.
Pâte sucrée is usually fully baked before filling because it’s most often used for
chilled or no-bake fillings. I blind bake it, which helps keep the base flat and the sides from slumping.
Another French tart dough you’ll often see is pâte sablée, which has very similar ingredients. In that dough, the butter is cold and rubbed into the flour before the egg is added, which keeps the finished pastry more crumbly and short.
What you need
Step-by-step
- Add the powdered sugar and butter to a bowl.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until a nice cohesive mixture, but not aerated.
- Beat in the egg until combined and emulsified.
- Add in the flour and salt and mix into a soft dough.
- Shape into a ball and wrap tightly, then refrigerate.
- Once chilled, roll the dough 3 to 4 mm thick, fit it into a 9 or 10- inch tart pan.
- Trim the edges and dock the base with a fork. Chill it in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Line the base with parchment paper and baking weights and blind bake.
- Remove the weights and continue baking til golden.
Pâte sucrée in a food processor
You can make pâte sucrée in a food processor, too. Add the butter and powdered sugar to the bowl and pulse until smooth and evenly combined. Then, add the egg and pulse until the mixture looks fully emulsified. Add the flour and salt and pulse just until the dough begins to clump together. Tip the dough out, bring it together gently, and chill as usual.
Freezing pâte sucrée dough
Wrap the dough tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes so it’s pliable before rolling.
Freezing a baked shell
A fully baked pâte sucrée shell freezes very well too. Here’s how:
- Bake the shell completely and let it cool fully
- Leave it in the tart pan if it’s delicate
- Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then add a second layer of foil
- Freeze flat for up to 1 month.
To use, unwrap while still frozen to prevent condensation, then thaw at room temperature. If needed, refresh the shell in a low oven until crisp and let it cool before filling.
FAQs about pâte sucrée
Uses
Pâte sucrée is best for tarts where structure and clean slices matter.
- Lemon, lime, and other citrus curd tarts
- Fruit tarts with pastry cream
- Strawberry custard tarts
- Meringue topped tarts, like my Lemon Meringue Tart
- Any tart that is sliced cold or filled after baking
Pâte Sucrée Tart Dough
Ingredients
- 113 g unsalted butter soft but not greasy
- 90 g powdered sugar
- 1 large egg
- 220 g all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
Make the dough
- Add the butter and powdered sugar to a bowl and cream with an electric mixer or by hand until smooth and evenly combined. You don't want to whip it until airy, just to bring it together into a smooth base. 113 g unsalted butter, 90 g powdered sugar
- Beat in the egg until fully combined and emulsified. 1 large egg
- Add the flour and salt and mix just until the dough comes together. 220 g all purpose flour, 1/4 tsp salt
- Tip the dough onto the bench, bring it together gently, and shape into a disc. Wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Pre baking the pastry
- Pre baking is recommended for chilled or no bake fillings.
- Heat the oven to 340°F (170°C).
- Take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. It should still feel cold, but not rock hard. If it cracks immediately when you try to roll, it is too cold.
- Roll the dough on a lightly floured bench or between two sheets of parchment to an even thickness of about 3 to 4 mm. Roll it a few inches wider than a 9 or 10 inch tart pan.
- Loosely roll the dough around the rolling pin, then unroll it over the ungreased tart pan. Gently lift the dough at the edges and let it fall into the base and corners. Use your fingertips to press the dough into the sides of the pan, working your way around. Patch any cracks with excess dough.
- Press the dough firmly into the angle between the base and the sides. This helps the shell keep its shape during baking. Roll the rolling pin over the top of the pan or trim with a sharp knife.
- Dock the base with a fork, and chill the lined pan for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Line the shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until the edges look set. Remove the weights and parchment and return to the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the base is dry and lightly golden. Cool completely before filling.
