This pâte sucrée is the buttery sweet tart dough I reach for all the time. It’s tender, crisp, and much friendly to work with than any pie dough!
Pâte sucrée is a foundation French pastry recipe. It’s a buttery, cookie-like sweet tart dough that’s super forgiving and versatile. Unlike often finicky pie crusts, this dough comes together like cookie dough and handles beautifully.
Easy Dough Recipe for Tart Shells
Pâte sucrée (pronounced pat-sue-cray) is French for “sugar dough”. It’s mixed together suing the creaming method, jus like cookie dough.
Here’s the best part for home bakers: it’s forgiving. It rolls out beautifully without fuss, and if it tears while you’re lining your tart pan? No problem. Simply press extra dough into any gaps or cracks and it seals right up.
Key Characteristics:
- sweet, cookie-like texture
- tender and crisp when baked
- hold space beautifully
- more forgiving that traditional pie dough
Mixing Technique: Creaming Method
- Cream the butter and sugar. Beat softened butter, powdered sugar, and salt until smooth and creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes. You want it combined, not whipped and airy.
- Add the eggs. Add them a little at a time, scraping the bowl between additions. If it looks slightly curdled, keep mixing. It will come together.
- Add the flour. Mix on low just until no dry streaks remain. Stop early and finish by hand if needed. Overmixing builds gluten, and gluten makes a tough crust that shrinks.
- Shape and chill. Pat the dough into flat discs, wrap tightly, and chill at least 1 hour. Overnight is even better.
Recipes That Use This Tart Dough
Easy Pumpkin Tart
This pumpkin tart is the elegant upgrade traditional pumpkin pie deserves. A buttery shortbread crust cradles silky spiced pumpkin filling, finished with white chocolate drizzle and toasted pecans for restaurant-quality results at home.Yield: 9.5-inch tart or 10-inch tart
View Recipe
Pear Frangipane Tart
This elegant pear frangipane tart features a crisp shortbread crust, rich almond cream filling, and caramelized pears—a stunning French-inspired dessert that tastes as impressive as it looks.Yield: 9.5-inch tart
View Recipe
Apple Frangipane
Apple frangipane tart features slices apples, creamy almond frangipane, and buttery pâte sucrée crust. It's a classic French dessert made simple.Yield: 9.5-inch tart
View Recipe
Almond Pine Nut Tart
This almond pine nut tart features a crunchy pâte sucrée crust, sweet almond filling, and toasted pine nut topping. Yield: 9.5-inch tart
View Recipe
My Dough Rolling Technique
Wax Paper Method
This is my signature rolling method for sweet tart doughs:
- Roll tart dough between two sheets of wax paper to desired size.
- Remove top sheet of wax paper.
- Invert dough into tart pan with the wax paper side up.
- Press dough into pan.
- Trim off excess dough.
Sweet Tart Dough Pâte Sucrée
The one tart dough recipe every home baker needs. This pâte sucrée is foolproof, forgiving, and SO much easier than pie crust.
Servings: 2 9.5-inch tart shells
Ingredients
- 14 Tablespoon unsalted butter (198 g) , room temp, softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar (60 g), aka confectioners' sugar
- 1 large egg, room temp
- 1 large egg yolk, room temp
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (390 g)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg and egg yolk. Mix until well incorporated. Scrape down bowl as needed to ensure thorough mixing.
- Add flour and salt. Mix on low speed just until there are no longer any dry streaks of flour. Dump out dough onto clean work surface. Gently press dough together. Divide dough into two equal parts. Flatten each part into a flat disc. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour, or overnight.
- When ready to roll out dough, place one disc between two sheets of wax paper. Use a rolling pin to flatten dough into a circle about 11-inches in diameter
- Peel off top layer of wax paper. Invert dough. Gently and quickly transfer dough to 9.5-inch (or 10-inch) tart pan with the wax paper side up. Use your fingers to press dough against the sides and bottom of the pan. Remove wax paper. Trim overhang dough along the edges. Dock the bottom of tart. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge while oven preheats.
Partial Blind Bake Option:
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove plastic wrap from tart. Line tart with parchment paper or aluminum foil and add pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove parchment paper and pie weights. Bake for another 6 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool while you prepare filling.
Full Blind Bake Option:
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove plastic wrap from tart. Line tart with parchment paper or aluminum foil and add pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove parchment paper and pie weights. Bake for another 10-12 minutes until dough is golden brown throughout. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
Notes
DOUGH recipe makes enough for TWO TARTS. Flatten second dough. Cover tightly in plastic wrap. Keep in the fridge for up to two days, or keep frozen for up to a month. Defrost overnight in the fridge when ready to use.
Nutrition
Calories: 841kcal, Carbohydrates: 102g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 43g, Saturated Fat: 26g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 198mg, Sodium: 609mg, Potassium: 135mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 30g, Vitamin A: 1355IU, Calcium: 39mg, Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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