Sweet Shortcrust Pastry - French Pâte Sucrée

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Sweet shortcrust 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.

Prep Time15

Total Time15

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Servings: tart crusts 22cm (9-inch) - 650 grams total dough

310 grams all purpose flour 11% protein, sifted (can swap evenly for pastry flour 9-10% protein)
40 grams almond meal unblanched almond flour
½ tsp fine sea salt
150 grams unsalted European style butter (82% butterfat) softened
110 grams powdered sugar
60 grams egg room temperature, beaten with a fork

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until smooth.
150 grams unsalted European style butter (82% butterfat), 110 grams powdered sugar
Using a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, almond meal, and salt.
310 grams all purpose flour, 40 grams almond meal, ½ tsp fine sea salt
On low speed mix in 1/2 of the beaten egg and 1/2 of the flour mixture. Mix until combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to form a soft cookie dough texture.
60 grams egg
Scoop any crumbs stuck to the bottom of the bowl and pack the dough together by hand.

Place softened butter in a mixing bowl and whisk by hand until creamy.
150 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.
110 grams powdered sugar
Add in the egg and salt and mix well again.
60 grams egg, ½ tsp fine sea salt
Finally, mix in the flour and almond meal until roughly combined.
310 grams all purpose flour, 40 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.

Pack the dough into a flat disc with your hands. The total weight should be 650 grams, which can be divided in half for two 22cm tarts.
Wrap the dough in plastic film and rest in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour or better overnight.
Roll out between two layers of parchment paper for the desired thickness of your recipe. For tarts I use a thickness of 1/8-1/4 inch (3-6mm) to line tart rings and tart pans. Always freeze the crust after lining the pan for at least 30 minutes before baking.
If at anytime the dough become too soft to work with, pop it back in the fridge or even the freezer for a few minutes to firm back up.

Egg: The amount of egg in the recipe needs to be weighed. I crack two eggs in a small bowl, beat well with a fork and then measure out 60 grams for the recipe.
Storage: Wrap tart dough in plastic film and refrigerate for up to 3 days before using. Place dough on the counter for about 30 minutes before rolling out.