Shortcrust
There are a number of variations on this same dough, which makes it useable for both sweet and savoury recipes.
Some of the variations you may encounter are:
- pâte brisée: the base recipe
- pâte sucrée: add sugar (ideally powdered sugar)
- pate à foncer: add sugar and eggs
The latter two are sometimes also made with milk instead of water.
The list below should help you decide which variant is the right one for your situation.
- crispy/crusty: add 1/2 tsp of baking powder
- sweet: add 2 tbsp of sugar to the dry flour and salt mixture
- rich: add one egg yolk at the same time as the water
- softer: use milk instead of water
- flavoured: add fresh or dried chopped thyme, rosemary, basil, oregano, …
You can easily prepare multiple doug balls at once and freeze for up to one year.
- 300 g flour
- 150 g softened butter (at room temperature, not melted)
- 80 g water
- 4 g salt (~ 1/2 tsp)
- make sure the butter is soft
- whisk together the flour and salt
- add in the butter
- mix by hand until flaky
- while kneading, add the water bit by bit
- knead until you have a smooth, soft ball, stop when it is no longer sticky
- wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours
- roll it out to a 3 mm thick disk
- lift and drape over the form
- ensure all the corners are nicely tucked
- use the rolling pin to trim excess dough
- use a fork to poke holes in the base
This is usually blind baked at 180°C for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on your application.