Regarding this basic short-crust pastry: the dough takes just 10 minutes to make, so resist the temptation to buy that pre-made crust from the refrigerator case. Homemade pastry always tastes better. Make it the day before. You can even roll it out, line the tart pan and keep it frozen until you’re ready to bake.
Ingredients
- 145 grams all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 stick cold unsalted butter (1/4 pound), cut in 1/8-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons ice water
- Nutritional Information
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)
670 calories; 46 grams fat; 29 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 55 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 121 milligrams cholesterol; 495 milligrams sodium
Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
One 9 and 1/2-inch tart crust
Preparation
- Put flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor. Add butter and quickly cut it into flour until mixture resembles coarse meal.
- Add ice water and mix briefly, about 30 seconds, to form a soft dough. Remove dough, shape into a thick disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Bring to cool room temperature before rolling.
- To roll, lightly flour dough and counter. Roll out gradually, periodically letting dough rest for a moment before continuing. This makes rolling easier and will keep dough from shrinking back during baking.
- Roll dough to a thin round approximately 13 inches in diameter, then trim to make a 12-inch circle (refrigerate and save trimmings for patching). Lay dough loosely into a 9 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom, letting it relax a bit. Fold overlap back inside to make a double thickness, then press firmly against the pan so the finished edge is slightly higher than the pan. Refrigerate or freeze for an hour before pre-baking.
Dining and Cooking