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Sweet Shortcrust Pastry (Pâte Sucrée) Recipe

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4.2 from 3 reviews

Sweet shortcrust pastry, known as pâte sucrée, is a rich and tender pastry often used for tart and pie bases. Made with butter, sugar, and vanilla, this dough strikes the perfect balance of buttery flakiness and a delicate sweetness ideal for desserts. It can be prepared using a food processor for ease or by hand for traditionalists, and requires chilling to develop its texture before rolling out.

Ingredients

Pastry Dough

  • 160 g plain flour (all purpose flour)
  • 80 g butter (chilled)
  • 50 g icing sugar
  • 1 egg (separated into yolk and white)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla essence
  • Water (as needed)

Instructions

  1. Prepare Ingredients: Separate the egg into yolk and white. Keep the egg white handy if the dough is too dry.
  2. Using a Food Processor: Place the flour and chilled butter into the processor. Blitz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the icing sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and blitz again until the dough forms a single mass. If the dough is too dry, slowly add the egg white, and if still dry, add a little water until the dough binds well.
  3. By Hand: Sift the flour into a large bowl. Cut the chilled butter into small pieces and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the icing sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Add some or all of the egg white if the dough is too dry, and if necessary, a little water until the dough is cohesive.
  4. Chill the Dough: Wrap the dough tightly in cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the butter to firm and the gluten to relax.
  5. Roll Out: Lightly flour a pastry board and roll the pastry out to about 3mm thickness, forming a circle. Carefully lift the pastry and drape it over a 20cm diameter loose-bottomed flan tin. Press it gently into the base and sides, then trim any excess pastry from the edges.
  6. Storage Before Use: Refrigerate the prepared pastry case until ready to bake or fill according to your recipe.

Notes

  • If the dough feels sticky after chilling, rest it for a few minutes at room temperature before rolling out.
  • Do not overwork the dough to keep it tender and crumbly rather than tough.
  • Chilling the dough helps prevent shrinking during baking.
  • The pastry is best used in sweet tarts and pies due to its sugar content and richness.
  • Adding water sparingly is important to avoid making the dough too wet.

Find it online: http://bitezly.com/sweet-shortcrust-pastry-pate-sucree-recipe/