Sweet Tart Crust (French Pâte Sucrée)

Create a beautiful French tart crust just like you see in the French pastry shop windows with this easy sweet tart dough. It’s a bit more tender than American pie crust and comes together easily with just a few ingredients. This pâte sucrée has a touch of almonds for a lovely nutty profile that pairs perfectly with fruit and chocolate tarts.

Pâte Sucrée, aka sweet tart crust can be made either by hand or in a mixer. Once the dough comes together it will need to rest and chill for at least 1 hour before rolling out. I like to use with a simple 9-inch or 22 cm pastry ring for making tarts. But, you can certainly use a removable bottom 9-inch fluted tart pan.

Key Ingredients

• All Purpose Flour: I’m using an all purpose flour with 11% protein. A tough more than pastry flour and less gluten than some all purpose flour. I find this to be the sweet spot for a great tart crust without the dough being too fragile to work with.
• Almond Flour: I swapped a portion of the flour for almond meal, which is unblanched almond flour with flecks of the brown skin. This gives the dough a light nuttiness and gorgeous texture contrast.
  • Test Note: The almond meal can be evenly swapped for blanched almond flour. Sometimes I will change it up and use ground hazelnut or pistachio flour.
• Butter: It’s not French pastry without French butter. Rich cultured european style butter with 82% butterfat brings tenderness to the dough. It’s also easier to work with even while cold, making rolling out and lining the dough so much less work.
• Powdered Sugar: Just like in shortbread cookie dough, powdered sugar creates a lovely smooth tart dough texture.
• Eggs: To bind everything together, we’ll need fresh eggs. The best way to measure egg quantity is with a scale.
  • Test Note: Most standard large eggs weigh 50 grams without the shell. But just in case, I find it easier to crack eggs into a small cup, beat with a fork and then re-measure the amount needed for the recipe.

How to Line a Tart Ring

1. Place the cold tart dough disc between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll the tart crust out to a rough circle larger than your pastry ring.

2. Place the tart ring on top of the dough. Cut a circle that’s about two fingers wide around the ring.

3. Set the pastry ring on parchment paper or a silicone mat. Carefully lower the dough into the buttered tart ring. Let it sink down into the corners and against the inside of the ring.

4. Gently press the dough into the ring to create a vertical sided crust. Use the bristles of a pastry brush or a flat finger to press the dough into the ring without squishing down the dough’s thickness. Once the ring is evenly lined, trim away the overhang with a sharp knife.

5. Ever so gently press the dough into the cornes with the side bristles of a pastry brush. Use your fingertips to smooth the rough edges where the excess dough was trimmed away for a nice finish.

6. Depending on the tart recipe, I like to prick the dough with the tines of a fork/ This helps to prevent shrinkage while blind-baking. Chill or freeze the dough lined pastry ring until ready to use.

Jenn’s Tart Crust Tips

1. This dough can be made either in a stand mixer or by hand. Be careful not to beat the dough too much with the stand mixer.
2. Always work with cold dough. If the dough becomes too soft while you’re lining the pastry ring or tart pan, just pop it back in the fridge. Wait a few minutes and then go back to lining your pan.
3. Don’t worry if you accidentally tear your dough. Just patch it back together with a spare piece or press it together with your finger tips.
4. After baking I like to create a smooth professional looking edge on my crust. Simply take a microplane and file away any rough or uneven spots.

4. I’ve started baking my tarts on perforated silicone mats and a perforated baking pan. I love the even bake it gives the crust. Not too mention this lovely texture design on the bottom. Even if you don’t necessarily see the bottom of a crust as often as the top, it’s nice to have a little extra pizazz.

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Sweet Tart Crust (French Pâte Sucrée)

By Jenn Davis

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Total: 15 minutes mins

Yield: 2 9-inch tart crusts

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Sweet tart dough known as Pâte Sucrée is a French pastry crust made with a mixture of all purpose flour and almond flour to create tart shells.

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Recipe Video

Ingredients

• ▢ 230 grams all purpose flour, 11% protein
• ▢ 30 grams almond meal, unblanched almond flour
• ▢ 60 grams powdered sugar
• ▢ 60 grams unsalted European style butter (82% butterfat), softened
• ▢ 1 tsp fine sea salt
• ▢ 80 grams eggs, beat two eggs with a fork, then measure out amount needed

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Instructions 

Using a Stand Mixer

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until smooth.
  60 grams unsalted European style butter (82% butterfat), 60 grams powdered sugar
• Using a mixing bowl, whisk together the almond powder, flour, and salt.
  230 grams all purpose flour, 30 grams almond meal, 1 tsp fine sea salt
• On low speed add in 1/3 of the egg and 1/3 of the flour. Mix until combined, scraping bowl of needed. Then repeat with the remaining 2/3 of each to form a soft dough.
  80 grams eggs

Mixing by Hand

• Place softened butter in a mixing bowl and whisk by hand until creamy.
  60 grams unsalted European style butter (82% butterfat)
• Add the powdered sugar to the butter and whisk until you have a smooth texture. Use a little elbow grease here.
  60 grams powdered sugar
• Add in the egg and salt and mix well again.
  80 grams eggs, 1 tsp fine sea salt
• Finally mix in the flour and almond meal until roughly combined.
  230 grams all purpose flour, 30 grams almond meal
• Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Begin working the dough with the palm of your hand to combine the ingredients into a smooth dough. Use a bench scraper to scrape the dough off the work surface if needed.

Shape, Rest & Use

• Pack the dough into a flat disc with your hands. Wrap in plastic film and rest in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour.
• Roll out between two layers of parchment paper for the desired thickness of your recipe.

Notes

1. Storage: Wrap tart dough in plastic film and refrigerate for up to 3 days before using. Place on the counter for about 30 minutes before rolling out.

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