Indulge in the art of baking with our comprehensive guide to creating the perfect sweet dough for pies and tarts. Discover the secrets to achieving flaky, tender, and flavorful crusts that elevate your culinary creations. This collection of recipes caters to various skill levels, dietary preferences, and taste profiles, ensuring that every baker can find their ideal sweet dough recipe. From classic all-butter dough to vegan and gluten-free options, we've got you covered. Dive into the world of sweet dough and elevate your pies and tarts to new heights of deliciousness.
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PâTE SUCRéE (SWEET TART DOUGH)
A pâte sucrée is a crisp yet tender pastry crust that is slightly sweet. It maintains its shortbread-like texture when chilled, which makes it ideal for tarts that require refrigeration.
Provided by Jennifer Segal
Categories Desserts
Time 45m
Yield One fully baked 10-inch tart shell or 9-inch pie shell
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and salt on medium speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the flour and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, until the flour is incorporated. The mixture will look like wet, clumpy sand. Add the egg yolk and mix on low speed until the yolk is evenly incorporated and the dough is clumpy, about 30 seconds. Using your hand, lightly knead the dough into a ball inside the bowl. Remove the dough from the bowl, press it into a 6-inch disk, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. (The dough can be tightly wrapped in plastic and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before using.)
- Lightly spray a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or a 9-inch pie shell with nonstick cooking spray with flour. Place the chilled dough inside the pan. Pinch off pieces of dough and press them against the sides of the pan to reach just shy of a ¼ inch thick and about ⅛ inch above the rim (you'll trim the top later). Using the heel of your hand, press the rest of the dough evenly into the bottom of the pan. (It will look like a mess, and it may seem like you won't have enough dough at first, but have faith, it will come together.) Be sure there are no seams in the dough, and press it squarely along the corners where the bottom meets the sides to avoid extra-thick edges. Use a paring knife to trim the top edge of the dough so it is even with the rim of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to chill.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Place the chilled pâte sucrée on a baking sheet (for easy handling) and bake for 23 to 26 minutes, or until lightly golden. Let cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
Nutrition Facts :
SWEET DOUGH FOR PIES
Provided by Food Network
Categories dessert
Time 1h30m
Yield One 9 inch pie
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- To mix the dough by hand, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a medium
- mixing bowl and stir well to mix. Cut butter into 1 tablespoon pieces and add to dry ingredients. Toss once or twice to coat pieces of butter. Then using your hands or a pastry blender, break the butter into tiny pieces and pinch and squeeze it into the dry ingredients. Occasionally reach down to the bottom of the bowl and mix all the ingredients evenly together. Continue rubbing the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse ground corn meal and no large pieces of butter remain visible.
- Beat the egg(s) in a small bowl and pour over the flour and butter mixture. Stir in with a fork until the dough begins to hold together, but still appears somewhat dry. Scatter a teaspoon of flour on the work surface and scrape the dough out onto it. Press and knead the dough quickly 3 or 4 times, until it is smooth and uniform.
- To mix the dough in the food processor, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in work bowl fitted with metal blade. Pulse 3 times at 1second intervals to mix. Cut butter into 1tablespoon pieces and add to work bowl. Process, pulsing repeatedly at 1second intervals, until the mixture is fine and powdery, resembles a coarse ground cornmeal and no large pieces of butter remain visible, about 15 pulses in all.
- Add the egg(s) to the work bowl and pulse ten times or so, until the dough forms a ball.
- Scatter a teaspoon of flour on the work surface and scrape the dough out onto it. Press and knead the dough quickly 3 or 4 times, until it is smooth and uniform.
- Press the dough into a disk (two equal disks for the larger amount of dough). Sandwich the disk(s) of dough between two pieces of plastic wrap and press it into a 6 inch circle. Refrigerate the dough until firm, or until you are ready to use it, at least 1 hour.
- Storage: Keep the dough in the refrigerator up to two days, or freeze it doublewrapped in plastic. Because the dough is thin, it will defrost quickly at room temperature when you intend to use it.
- Variations:
- SPICE CRUST:
- Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon each freshly grated nutmeg and ground cloves to the dry ingredients before mixing in the butter. Double the quantities for the 2 crust recipe.
- COCOA DOUGH:
- Add 2 tablespoons sifted non alkalized cocoa powder to the dry ingredients before mixing in the butter. Double the quantities for the 2 crust recipe. If the dough seems dry after adding egg(s), add a teaspoon or two of water, no more.
SWEET DOUGH FOR PIES AND TARTS
Steps:
- To mix the dough by hand, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a medium mixing bowl and stir well to mix. Cut butter into 1-tablespoon pieces and add to dry ingredients. Toss once or twice to coat pieces of butter. Using your hands or a pastry blender, rub the butter into the dry ingredients by breaking it into tiny pieces, continuously pinching and squeezing it into the dry ingredients. Be careful to keep the mixture uniform by occasionally reaching down to the bottom of the bowl and mixing all the ingredients evenly together. Continue rubbing the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse-ground cornmeal and no large pieces of butter remain visible. Beat the egg(s) in a small bowl and pour over the flour and butter mixture. Stir in with a fork, continuing to stir until the dough begins to hold together, but still appears somewhat dry. Scatter flour on the work surface and scrape the dough onto it. Press and knead the dough quickly 3 or 4 times, until it is smooth. To mix the dough in the food processor, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in work bowl fitted with metal blade. Pulse 3 times at 1-second intervals to mix. Cut butter into 1-tablespoon pieces and add to work bowl. Process, pulsing repeatedly at 1-second intervals, until the mixture is fine and powdery, resembles a coarse-ground cornmeal and no large pieces of butter remain visible, about 15 pulses in all. Add the egg(s) to the work bowl and pulse ten times or so, until the dough forms a ball. Scatter flour on the work surface and scrape the dough onto it. Press and knead the dough quickly 3 or 4 times, until it is smooth. Press the dough into a disk (two equal disks for the larger amount of dough). Sandwich the disk(s) of dough between two pieces of plastic wrap and press it into a 6-inch disk. Refrigerate the dough until firm, or until you are ready to use it, at least 1 hour.;
SWEET TART DOUGH
This formula for pâte sucrée comes from the pastry chef Jacquy Pfeiffer, with whom I wrote a book. It may surprise you that everything, even the butter, is at room temperature when you mix the dough. Room temperature butter will mix together thoroughly and quickly with the other ingredients, so you won't find chunks of it when you roll out the dough. It also allows you to mix the dough quickly, minimizing air bubbles and the development of the gluten in the flour, which would result in too much elasticity in the dough, causing it to shrink during baking. He uses powdered sugar, rather than granulated, because it melts and combines quickly with other ingredients, again allowing you to mix the dough quickly. Almond flour contributes flavor to the dough and gives it a nice texture, but you could substitute regular flour if you have a hard time finding almond flour. Finally, he uses cake flour because it has a lower gluten content than all-purpose flour. Once you mix the dough it requires a long rest in the refrigerator - preferably overnight - so that the gluten developed during mixing can relax and the starch in the flour can absorb liquid. It should remain cold when you roll it out, and ideally you should give it another overnight rest in the fridge, uncovered, once it is rolled out, so that the pastry dries out even more. If you don't have the extra day, give it at least an hour.
Provided by Martha Rose Shulman
Categories snack, pastries, pies and tarts, dessert
Time 1h
Yield Two 9-inch pastry shells
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- In a standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and salt on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl and paddle and add confectioners' sugar. Combine with butter at low speed. Scrape down bowl and paddle again, then add almond flour and vanilla and combine at low speed.
- Gradually add egg and a scant 1/2 cup cake flour (55 grams). Beat at low speed until just incorporated. Scrape down bowl and paddle. Gradually add remaining cake flour and mix just until dough comes together. Do not overbeat. Dough should be soft to the touch.
- Scrape dough out of bowl and gently press into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Double-wrap airtight in plastic and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
- Very lightly brush two tart pans with butter. (You should not be able to see the butter.) Weigh dough and cut into two equal pieces. Wrap one piece and refrigerate while you roll out the other.
- Lightly dust parchment paper or a silicone baking mat with flour. Tap on dough lightly with a rolling pin to make it pliable. Begin rolling gently, three times in one direction, from the edge nearest to you to the far edge. Rotate dough a quarter turn clockwise. (If it's sticking, run an offset spatula underneath to loosen it, then gently lift it and lightly dust underneath with flour.) Repeat process until dough is about 1/4-inch thick and 11 inches in diameter. Check often to make sure dough is not sticking, and dust with flour as necessary.
- Cut dough into a 10 1/2-inch circle. (If it's on a silicone mat, flip it over onto a piece of lightly dusted parchment and peel off the mat first.) Very lightly dust dough with flour; brush away excess flour with a dry pastry brush.
- Loosely roll dough onto rolling pin, then unroll it onto a tart pan, making sure to cover pan evenly. Gently ease it into the pan so there is no gap between the bottom edge of the ring and the bottom of the pan (don't press hard or dough will be thinner in spots). Cut away excess dough by holding a paring knife perpendicular to the edge of the pan and spinning the pan around against the edge of the knife. Use a fork to poke little holes in dough across entire bottom of shell.
- Refrigerate dough, uncovered, for at least 1 hour and preferably overnight. If freezing dough, refrigerate for 1 hour, then double-wrap in plastic wrap, then in foil. Label, date and freeze. Repeat process of rolling out dough with the other dough half.
- Heat oven to 325 degrees with rack positioned in middle. Place tart pan on a baking sheet. Line shell with parchment and fill to the top with pie weights. (If dough is coming directly from the freezer, you don't need to defrost it first or use weights.) Bake for 15 minutes. Remove parchment and weights and return to oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a rack (with pan still on top of baking sheet) before filling.
SWEET DOUGH CRUST (FOR TARTS AND INDIVIDUAL PIES)
Sweet dough pies or tarts (depending on what your grandma called them) are very popular in South Louisiana - they are a staple in every cajun kitchen. A co-worker's grandma was kind enough to share her recipe (she will be always be affectionately called the "sweet dough tart queen"). Thanks for sharing your recipe, Mom Gert! I included the three different recipes for the fillings that I've used, but you could use whatever type of filling you prefer. Just make sure it isn't too runny - the best consistency is the same as preserves. You can also use store-bought preserves to save time. The yield depends on how small or large you cut your circles. I use either the vanilla butternut flavoring OR vanilla extract and nutmeg (if you are adventuresome you could use all three, but I never have so I'm not 100% sure of the flavor combination).
Provided by Luby Luby Luby
Categories < 4 Hours
Time 2h20m
Yield 12 Tarts
Number Of Ingredients 28
Steps:
- Dough:.
- In mixing bowl beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and whichever flavorings you choose, mixing well.
- Combine baking powder and flour and slowly add to butter mixture beating until combined.
- Divide dough into two discs and wrap in waxed paper.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Remove one disc at a time and roll between two sheets of waxed paper until 1/8" thick.
- Cut 4" circles from dough.
- Place one heaping tablespoon of filling slightly off center in the top half of the dough circle.
- Fold over to create a semi-circle and gently press dough together to seal.
- Crimp edges using the tines of a fork.
- Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until very lightly browned around edges.
- Cool on wire rack.
- Fillings:.
- Whichever filling you decide to use the steps are basically the same.
- Combine all ingredients except cornstarch and water.
- Cook over low heat for about 30 to 45 minutes.
- Combine cornstarch in cold water and add to filling mixture.
- Bring to a boil and cook 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 609.4, Fat 20.6, SaturatedFat 12.2, Cholesterol 118.8, Sodium 275.7, Carbohydrate 100.3, Fiber 3.2, Sugar 58.9, Protein 7.8
Tips:
- Choose the Right Flour: For a flaky crust, use a pastry flour or all-purpose flour with a low protein content (around 10%).
- Keep Ingredients Cold: Cold butter and water will help create a more tender crust. Use chilled butter and ice water, and keep the dough refrigerated until ready to use.
- Work Quickly: Over-working the dough can make it tough. Work the dough just enough to bring it together, and avoid kneading it.
- Chill the Dough: After mixing, chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out. This will make the dough easier to work with and prevent it from shrinking in the oven.
- Roll the Dough Evenly: Roll the dough out to an even thickness, about 1/8 inch thick. This will help ensure that the crust bakes evenly.
- Trim the Dough: Trim the edges of the dough to create a clean, even border. This will help prevent the crust from shrinking in the oven.
- Prick the Dough: Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork before baking. This will help prevent the dough from bubbling up in the oven.
- Bake the Crust Blind: If you are not filling the pie or tart right away, bake the crust blind. This will help prevent the crust from becoming soggy.
Conclusion:
With these tips, you can make a delicious, flaky sweet dough for your pies and tarts. Just remember to use cold ingredients, work quickly, chill the dough, and roll it out evenly. With a little practice, you'll be able to make perfect pastry crusts every time.
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