The basics · Pâte brisée
Pâte Brisée and How to Blind-Bake a Crust
The crisp, buttery French shortcrust under every quiche in Paris. It is easier than you think, and a store-bought crust works too.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 7 tablespoons (100 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
Instructions
- Keep the butter cubes in the refrigerator until the very last minute.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and butter. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse sand with a few pea-size pieces of butter.
- Add the egg yolk and 3 tablespoons of ice water. Mix with a fork or spatula just until the dough comes together, adding the last tablespoon of water only if it is too dry. Do not knead: the less you work it, the more tender it will be.
- Shape into a flat disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).
- On a lightly floured counter, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle, about 1/8 inch thick. Ease it into the tart pan, press it into the fluted sides and trim the excess by rolling the pin over the rim.
- Prick the bottom all over with a fork and refrigerate for 15 minutes, then blind-bake it (below).
Olivier's tip
In a hurry? Pulse the flour, salt and butter in a food processor for a few seconds, add the yolk and water, and pulse just until the dough starts to clump.
How to blind-bake a crust
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Prick the bottom of the chilled crust with a fork. Line it with parchment paper and fill it to the top with pie weights or dried beans.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Carefully lift out the parchment and weights, then bake 8 to 10 minutes more, until the bottom looks dry and pale golden.
- Optional but very effective: brush the inside of the hot crust with a little beaten egg and bake 1 minute more. This seals the crust and keeps it crisp under the custard.
- For puff pastry, bake at 400°F (200°C): 15 minutes with the weights, then 5 minutes without.
Using a store-bought crust
- Refrigerated pie crust: one rolled crust (for a 9-inch pie) fits a 9-inch tart pan. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes so it unrolls without cracking.
- Frozen puff pastry: one sheet (from a package of two) is enough for a 9-inch tart pan. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight or for about 40 minutes at room temperature, then roll it into a 12-inch square.
- Puff pastry gives a light, flaky crust; Pâte Brisée a crisp, buttery one. Choose the one you like, or the one you have!
