Tart Crust (Pâte Sucrée)

butter	1 stick (8 TBSP)
sugar	66 g
salt	1/4 tsp
flour	150 g
egg yolks	1

• 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.
  • If making ahead: Remove the dough from the bowl, press it into a 6-inch disk, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and put it in the fridge or freezer. The dough can be 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.
• Mash the dough into the tart pan, pinching off pieces of dough and pressing them against the sides until the whole thing is evenly covered.
• IMPORTANT! Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge or freezer for at least 30 minutes to chill. (Now is a great time to make the filling.)
• To blind bake:
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
  • Place the chilled crust on a baking sheet for easy handling, prick the bottom with a fork, and bake for 23 to 26 minutes, or until lightly golden. Let cool to room temperature on a wire rack.

Sources

In the end, I most closely followed the recipe from Once Upon a Chef.

• Once Upon A Chef
• King Arthur
• Serious Eats - To be honest, this just does not look very good
• Martha Stewart
• Smitten Kitchen

Notes

See also notes under frangipane tart.

• 2022-07-19: Used dough from 2022-07-04. Miserable failure! Dough slumped AND lumped (bubbled) in blind bake, and was undercooked after second bake. In the end I was able to continue cooking enough to get something tasty by setting the tart on the floor of the oven and baking at 300 for… a while! Possible explanations:
  • highly suspect: 1 egg instead of 1 egg yolk
  • dough was previously frozen
  • dough thawed in fridge for too long (days?)
  • shaped crust sat in fridge too long (a day? more?)
  • highly suspect: I let the cookie sheet preheat in the oven, thinking this would jump start the baking and further guard against slumping/melting during blind bake.
• 2022-07-04: Double batch, each with:
  • 1 stick butter
  • 60g sugar
  • 150g flour
  • 0.25tsp Salt
  • 1 egg
• 2022-07-??: First attempt came out fantastic!
• Can make it in a mixer or food processor
  • If you are filling with frangipane, and starting from whole nuts (i.e. you need to grind them), a food processor saves you some dishes.

Ingredient Comparison Table

Ingredient	KA	SE	MS	SK	OC	Note
butter (tbsp)	8	16	8	9	8	—
sugar (g)	50	170	21	60*	66	*powdered sugar
flour (g)	150	425	150	195	150	—
salt (tsp)	1/4	2	1/2	1/4	1/4	—
egg yolks	1	1	1	0	1	—
egg	0	1	0	1	0	—
milk	1tbsp	2tbsp*	0	0	0	*cream
vanilla	1tsp	1tbsp	0	0	0	—
water	0	0	2TBSP	0	0	—