Sweet Shortcrust Pastry 101 aka Pate Sucree'

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A Pate Sucree' aka shortcrust pastry is the perfect base for many desserts, such as tarts and pies. It's a sweet and buttery pastry with a biscuit-like crumb. This simple and easy recipe with easy to follow step-by-step instructions will have you master this pastry like a pro in no time at all.

Well, if you love making desserts, then one of the first things you probably want to master is how to make the best pastry at home!

NO matter how busy you are in conversation when you take that bite of a perfect crust. It will grab your attention, and you will take a moment to enjoy it. At other times you will just eat the filling and leave the crust behind.

That's the power or good pastry. I know It never fails to catch my attention - all these years. When I see good pastry, I will acknowledge and say... this is a good pastry!!

About this pastry

Many names for the same dough, the French call it Pate sucree', some brands sell it in the name sweet pastry crust dough and we bakers refer to it as sweet shortcrust pastry.  Whatever name you call it; it is a delicious pastry that can either ruin or take it to the next level.

Pate Sucre's as the name suggests is sweet pastry and made exactly the same way we make the pie crust. So if you have made a pie before then this is the same dough with added sugar.

Similar to pie, you can make this by hand or using a food processor. I have given you detailed instructions for both below.

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Ingredients and substitutes

• Butter - You want to use unsalted butter - the color of your butter will determine the color of your pastry. I'm using a pale white butter. If you can't find unsalted butter, go ahead and use salted butter, but omit the additional salt in the recipe.
• Egg Yolk  - This is important as it gives the pastry that crumbly biscuit-like texture.
  If you are a vegetarian and need to make this eggless and cannot use egg yolk, you can substitute 2 tbsp of yogurt for every egg yolk, and you may need less cold water too
• Chilled water - We need to keep the butter in the pastry cold at all times until baking, which is one reason we use chilled or ice water. Also, we use very little water because our goal is to keep the pastry crumbly. Adding more water will take that crisp texture away and give us a tight dough.
  Often, some of my students substitute milk or cream for the water in their sweet pastry crust. I advise against it. Why? The sugars in the milk and cream make the pastry caramelize during baking giving you a dark pastry crust. I prefer a light golden color.
• Sugar - This is a Pate Sucre', aka shortcrust pastry. So, yes we do need to add sugar. However, if you prefer, you can add less or more as desired. Always keep the filling in mind when altering a recipe. Remember the result is a thin pastry crust that's filled with goodness.

Step by step instructions (pin)

Dough by hand

• Ensure the butter is chilled - cut into cubes.
• Measure the flour, salt, and sugar in a metal bowl.
  Tip - Leaving the bowl in the fridge for an hour will help keep the dough cold.
• Use a fork, pastry blender, or your fingertips to cut the butter into the flour.
• When using your fingertips be gentle, squishing the butter, flattening them cubes in the flour. 
• You start with big crumbles first and as you continue the crumbs become smaller. 
• Continue until you will have a crumbly mixture similar to coarse breadcrumbs.
• Add the egg yolk and try to incorporate it as much as you can.
• Lastly, add 2 tbsp chilled water bringing the crumbs together.
• Add more water only if needed to bring the dough into a ball.
• Gather all the crumbs into a ball.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 20 to 30 minutes until firm enough to roll.

Dough - food processor

• Ensure the butter is chilled - cut into cubes.
• Measure the flour, salt, and sugar in the food processor.
• Give it one or two pulses then add the chilled cubed butter
• Pulse 3 to 4 times - stop - pulse again 3 to 4 times. 
• The mixture starts with big crumbles first and as you continue the crumbs become smaller.
• Pulse until you have a crumbly mixture similar to coarse breadcrumbs.
• Add the egg yolk and give it a few more short bursts. 
• Lastly, add 2 tbsp chilled water thru the feed while still processing.
• This will bring the crumbs together. Add more water only if needed to bring the dough into a ball.
• Gather all the crumbs into a ball.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 20 to 30 minutes until firm enough to roll

Roll the Pastry

• Dust the work surface with flour.
• Open the dough and roll carefully from the center out turning as you go. 
• If you the dough is cracking too much means it's too cold, let it rest a few minutes then roll again.
• Use your tart pan as a guide to know how big you need it.
• When you reach the desired size - transfer the dough to the tart pan.

How to transfer pastry?

• To transfer the dough carefully roll it around your rolling pin, lift the rolling pin to the tart pan, and unroll it.
• Alternatively, gently fold the disc in half and then quarter. Pick and place the quarter in the pan and unfold it.
• Carefully make sure the disc is evenly spread in the pan.
• Press down on the sidewalls of the tart so the pastry covers the pan well.
• To remove excess dough- just run the rolling pin on the edges of the tart.
• This should give you perfect edges;  if necessary neaten with your fingertips.
• Let cool in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Prepare pastry for baking

• Preheat the oven to 190 C / 380 F.
• Prick the pastry all over with the tines of a fork to prevent the dough from puffing.
• Line the pastry with parchment paper  
  Tip - The easiest way to line the tart with parchment is to crumple the parchment paper completely first then open it up.  The crumbled surfaces work better to line the paper in the dough.
• Pour in some baking beans or pie weights.
  Tip- pie weight is nothing but uncooked rice or beans. These can be used many times to save them and use them every time you bake your crust. 

Partially baked

• Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and pie weight.
• Continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes more until lightly golden.
• Cool on a wire rack completely before you take it out of the tart pan.
• This pastry is fully baked so you can fill it with your choice of fillings and continue baking as directed in your recipe.

Fully baked

• Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes with the pie weights.
• Remove the parchment paper and pie weights.
• Add filling ingredients as per your recipe. Continue to bake as directed in your recipe
• Cool on a wire rack completely before you take it out of the tart pan.

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Frequently asked questions

Do you always cook this dough adding filling?

Most recipes will tell you if you should pre-bake or fully bake the crust. In some recipes, it is up to you to decide if you want it partially baked before you add a filling.

As a general rule, I like giving my pastry a blind bake for 8 to 10 minutes. I then add my filling and continue to cook the tart until it fully baked. This gives me a nice crisp, buttery crust. 

Sweet tarts with fruits, custards, and mousses like my lemon curd tart need a pre-baked pastry crust because once you add the filling in, there is no more cooking. In this case, you have to make sure you fully baked the crust. 

Why is my pastry hard when cooked?

Pastry dough is supposed to be high in fat which gives it the qualities of crumbly, flaky and buttery. If you reduce the fat content, your tart will be more doughy than buttery which means harder.

Also, pastry dough is made with flour which must be handled lightly keeping activity to the minimum. If the dough is kneaded too much, the resulting pastry will be hard. 

When stored in the fridge a pastry dough will be hard because the fat is chilled and hard to roll. Don't worry, just let it rest outside until it's firm but good enough to roll.

How do you keep the pastry from shrinking?

Nothing is worse than to find your tart has shrunk after baking. Here are a few tips that might help.
Do not overwork the dough. Remember flour has gluten, and if you overwork the dough you will activate the gluten. You cannot omit the formation of gluten entirely but you can control by handling it carefully, so it does not contract in the heat of the oven. 
Never add too much water to the dough. Keep it flaky by adding only enough water to bring it together. This is harder in the beginning but gather the dough lightly and use a cling/plastic wrap to help form a disc. 
Let the dough rest before rolling and before baking. This will help the dough relax, so it is easier to roll and helps the butter chill so it doesn't melt as quickly when baking. 
Bake at a higher temperature. This will melt the butter while cooking the dough instantly. 

Can I use this dough to make mini-tarts?

Yes, you can. You can use this recipe to create small mini tart shells like these below.
I have a detailed post on how to make mini-tart shells using three different methods with step by step pictures as well as a video tutorial.

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