A crisp, tender sweet pastry for tart shells. Keep the butter cool, avoid excess gluten development, and bake until evenly golden so the shell stays dry under custards or fruit fillings. Yield: one 24 cm tart shell or 10 small tartlets. Hold baked shells airtight for 3 days or freeze unbaked lined shells for 1 month.
Yield: 1 portions · Prep 35 min · Bake 25 min
Ingredients
250 g plain flour
95 g icing sugar
150 g unsalted butter
40 g egg yolk
3 g fine sea salt
Method
Scale and temper Scale accurately. Butter should be pliable at 10-14°C, not greasy. Sift flour and icing sugar so the dough hydrates evenly.
Cream Cream butter, icing sugar, and salt on low speed with the paddle until smooth. Do not whip; added air causes shrinkage and blistering.
Bind Add yolk, then flour. Mix only until the dough comes together in large crumbs. Final dough temperature should stay below 22°C.
Rest Press into a flat slab, wrap, and rest at 2-4°C for at least 2 hours. This relaxes gluten and firms the fat.
Line Roll to 2.5-3 mm, line rings without stretching, dock, and chill or freeze until rigid before baking.
Bake and hold Blind bake at 160-170°C until the base is dry and the edges are golden. Egg wash and flash-bake if a moisture barrier is needed.
