Best Pâte Sucrée Recipes

FLAKY SWEET PASTRY (PATE SUCREE)

Steps:

• Place 1 cup of the flour, the butter, sugar and salt, into a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process 10 seconds, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the ice water and pulse 10 to 15 times, just until the mixture begins to come together (do not let it form a ball). Empty the dough out of the machine onto a floured work surface and gather together by pressing lightly. If the dough seems too sticky, gently incorporate more flour. Shape into a ball, then flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before proceeding with recipe.

EASY PATE SUCREE

Steps:

• Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor to combine. Add butter; process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. Add yolk; pulse. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube; process until dough just holds together (no longer than 30 seconds). Shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour (up to 2 days)

EASY CHOCOLATE PATE SUCREE

Steps:

• Pulse flour, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. Add yolks and vanilla, and process until mixture just begins to hold together (no longer than 30 seconds).
• Shape dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).

CHOCOLATE PATE SUCREE

Steps:

• Place the flour, cocoa, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse several times to combine. Add the butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. Add the egg yolks and vanilla, and process just until mixture begins to hold together, no more than 30 seconds.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and form into a disk. Cover in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until ready to use.

PATE SUCREE FOR PLUM TART

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and sugar. Add butter, and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, 10 to 20 seconds.
• In a small bowl, lightly beat egg yolks; add ice water. With machine running, add the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream through the feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator, and chill at least 1 hour.

PATE SUCREE

Steps:

• Put flour in a large bowl, and make a hole in the middle. In the hole, place the salt, sugar, egg yolks, and softened butter.
• Mingle the ingredients in the middle, adding flour little by little, and stopping as soon as you achieve a homogeneous mixture.
• Shape the dough into a ball and cover it in cellophane wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

PATE SUCREE

Steps:

• Combine the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and process a few seconds to mix. Quarter the stick butter lengthwise and cut into 8 or 9 pieces. Scatter the cubes of butter evenly over the flour. Pulse the machine until the butter pieces are about the size of lentils.
• Place the lightly beaten egg in a 1/4 cup measure and fill to the top with ice water. Put half the liquid in the bottom of a bowl. Turn the flour/butter mixture onto it and pour the remaining liquid evenly over the top. Using a large rubber spatula, fold the mixture until it's evenly moistened. Squeeze it; it should hold together. If not, sprinkle in a little more water and gently mix.
• Turn the mixture out on the table and quickly frisage: (Using the palm of your hand, push sections of the dough away from you against the table. Gather the dough together and frisage any portions that were missed.) Form the mass into whatever shape you will be rolling out (i.e., disk for round, cylinder for rectangle), and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days. Dough can be frozen for up to 3 months.

PATE SUCREE FOR CRANBERRY, ALMOND, AND CINNAMON TART

Steps:

• Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds.
• Lightly beat yolk with ice water. With processor running, add yolk mixture in a slow, steady stream through the feed tube, and process until dough just holds together (no longer than 30 seconds).
• Turn out onto a work surface, and shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).

PATE SUCREE FOR TARTS

Steps:

• Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined, about 4 times. Add butter, and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. With processor running, add yolks. Gradually pour in cream; process until dough begins to come together, no more than 30 seconds. Pat dough into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

EASY PATE SUCREE FOR TARTS

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter and yolk and process until mixture resembles a coarse meal, approximately 10 seconds. (To mix by hand, combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl; using a pastry blender or two table knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.)
• With the machine running, gradually add water through the feed tube. Process just until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; do not process more than 30 seconds. Test the dough at this point by squeezing a small amount together. If it is crumbly, add a bit more water.
• Turn dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Grasping the ends of the plastic wrap with your hands, press dough into a flat circle with your fists. This makes rolling easier than if the pastry is chilled as a ball. Wrap dough in plastic and chill for at least an hour.

PATE SUCREE TARTS

Steps:

• Place flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, and pulse to combine. Add butter, and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds.
• In a small bowl, lightly beat yolks with the water.With machine running, add yolk mixture and process just until dough holds together, no more than 20 seconds. Divide dough in half, form into flat disks and wrap in plastic. Chill in refrigerator until ready to use, at least 2 hours.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of pate sucree 1/8 inch thick to fit a 4-by-14-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, allowing about an inch extra on all sides. Brush off excess flour with a pastry brush. Carefully transfer dough to tart pan, pressing it into edges and sides; trim excess by running rolling pin over the pan. Prick the bottom of the dough all over with a fork. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill in refrigerator at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove pans from refrigerator, and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Line each with a piece of aluminum foil that overhangs the edges by at least 2 inches. Fill foil with pie weights or dried beans; fold foil to enclose, making sure edges of tart are supported by the foil and weights.
• Bake until edges are just starting to color, about 25 minutes. Remove foil and weights; continue baking until crust is crisp and evenly browned, 10 to 15 minutes more.Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before removing shells.

PATE SUCREE FOR PLUM TARTE TATIN

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, and salt until combined. Add butter, and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
• In a small bowl, beat together egg yolks and ice water. With machine running, pour egg-yolk mixture in a steady stream through the feed tube; process until dough just holds together when pinched, 10 to 15 seconds.
• Divide dough in half. Flatten each half into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate dough at least 1 hour or overnight or freeze up to 1 month.

PATE SUCREE EXTRA FOR LINZER HEART COOKIES

Steps:

• Put the flour and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. All ingredients should be cold. Add the pieces of butter and pulse approximately 10 times, or just until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Combine ice water and egg yolks in a measuring cup and add, drop by drop, through the feed tube with the food processor running, just until the dough holds together without being wet or sticky; do not process more than 30 seconds. Test the dough at this point by squeezing a small amount together. If it is crumbly, add a bit more water, a teaspoon at a time.
• Divide dough into thirds onto three large pieces of plastic wrap. Grasping the ends of the plastic wrap with your hands, press the dough into a flat circle with your fists. (You will have three dough rounds.) Wrap each dough in plastic and chill for at least an hour.

PATE SUCREE (SWEET PASTRY DOUGH)

Steps:

• A note on ingredients: If you do not have Cake Flour, you can make some. For every cup of Cake Flour needed, scale out 120g (1 cup) of All Purpose Flour and substitute 15g (2 tablespoons) of All Purpose Flour with 15g (2 tablespoons) of Corn Starch. Sift the mixture so that the All Purpose Flour and Corn Starch are evenly distributed. The Corn Starch lowers the protein content of the mix and makes for a more tender dough. To yield 75g (1.5x) Eggs, crack two large Eggs into a bowl, beat them gently with a fork to combine the yolks and the whites, and scale out the 75g.
• Place the room temperature Butter and Powdered Sugar in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream the ingredients until they are completely smooth.
• With the mixture on medium speed, slowly add the eggs. Continue mixing until the ingredients are once again completely smooth and homogeneous. At this point, a properly mixed dough should have the appearance of mayonnaise.
• Chef's Note: As with the Butter, room temperature Eggs are best. Adding cold Eggs or adding all of the Eggs at once may cause the dough to "break" (i.e. the dough will appear curdled as the Butter & Sugar float in the Eggs).
• Add the Cake Flour in two additions and mix until all of the ingredients are fully combined, but do not over-mix.
• Chef's Note: The final dough should have a smooth, shiny appearance. There should be no visible sports of unmixed Flour or Butter.
• Rest the dough wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before rolling.
• Storage: The dough can be refrigerated for a couple of weeks or frozen for several months. The dough should be tempered but still chilled before rolling.
• Bake times for Pate Sucree will vary by recipe and filling. Bake an unfilled 8"/9" tart shell at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius) for approximately 25 - 30 minutes or until it is lightly browned throughout.

MICHEL ROUX'S PATE SUCREE

Steps:

• Mound flour on your work surface and make a well in the center. Place butter, sugar, and salt in center of well and mix together using your fingers. Slowly incorporate flour into butter mixture, using your fingers, until a slightly grainy dough forms.
• Make a well in the center of flour mixture and add eggs. Using your fingers, slowly incorporate flour mixture into eggs until dough begins to come together.
• Using the palm of your hand, knead dough a few times until smooth. Roll dough into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours before using.

PATE SUCREE FOR PIES AND GALETTES

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor, add flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter and process for approximately 10 seconds, or just until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. To mix by hand, combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender or two table knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• With the machine running, add ice water, drop by drop and slowly add egg yolks, until the dough just holds together without being wet or sticky; about 30 seconds. Test the dough at this point by squeezing a small amount together. If it is too crumbly, add a bit more water.
• Turn dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Grasping the ends of the plastic wrap with your hands, press dough into a flat circle with your fists. Wrap dough in the plastic and chill for at least an hour.

PATE SUCREE FOR RICE PUDDING TARTS WITH BLOOD ORANGES

Steps:

• Place flour and sugar in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add butter to flour mixture, and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 20 seconds. In a small bowl, lightly beat egg yolks and ice water until combined. Pour egg mixture through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream, with the machine running. Process just until dough holds together, no more than 30 seconds.
• Turn dough out onto a clean work surface. Divide into two equal pieces, and place each on a sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten into disks. Wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

PâTE SUCRéE

Steps:

• Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and pulse just until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add yolks and drizzle 2 tablespoons cream evenly over mixture; pulse just until dough begins to come together, no more than 30 seconds. If dough is too dry, add remaining cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse. Divide dough in half, pat each half into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 1 hour or up to 2 days, or freeze up to 3 months (thaw in refrigerator before using).
• Citrus Variations:
• Add 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest and 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest to the dry ingredients.
• Poppy Seed Variations:
• Add 2 tablespoons poppy seeds to the dry ingredients.
• Chocolate Variations:
• Replace 1/4 cup flour with 1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder.
• Cornmeal-Lemon Variations:
• Replace 3/4 cup flour with 3/4 cup coarse cornmeal; reduce sugar to 2 tablespoons. Add 1 teaspoon lemon zest to the dry ingredients.

PATE SUCREE

Steps:

• Pulse flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor to combine. Add butter, and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds. Add yolks; pulse.
• With machine running, add ice water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream just until dough comes together (not longer than 30 seconds). Shape into a disk; wrap dough in plastic. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days.

PATE SUCREE

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse to combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the machine running, pour in the water. Process until the mixture just begins to come together and form large clumps.
• Remove the dough from the food processor, and place on a board. Shape dough into a disk about 4 inches in diameter (5 inches for a 10-inch crust). Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Place a rack in the middle of the oven, and heat to 425 degrees.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and unwrap. Roll it out to fit a 9-inch tart pan (or a 10-inch pan). Place the dough in the pan. Trim the excess dough, leaving 1/2inch to fold under so the rim is thicker than the rest of the crust. If using a pie plate or a tart pan with high edges, trim just below the edge and fold the edges under in the same manner. For the grapefruit tart, trim the edge to within 1/2 inch of the rim.
• Prick the bottom of the crust with the tines of a fork. Cover the dough with a double thickness of aluminum foil. Fill the foil with rice, beans or pie weights.
• To bake the crust partially, bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the dough is set. Remove from the oven. Remove weights and aluminum foil. To bake fully, bake for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove from oven, and cool.