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Learn how to make a tart crust that is crisp yet tender, rich and buttery in flavor, and a little sweet (pâte sucrée). It’s a classic French recipe that is easy to master.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Pie weights: Used when blind-baking a crust so the crust stays flat. You can use store-bought pie weights or substitute dried beans (you cannot eat the beans after they’ve been baked). After baking, cool the beans completely and store them in a plastic bag for future baking projects.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a standing mixer fit with the paddle attachment, or with an electric mixer by hand, cream the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add egg. Continue mixing until combined, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Add vanilla and salt, mix until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add flour and baking powder and blend until the dough comes together (do not over-mix).
- Scrape dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap tightly and chill at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a thickness of 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch. If the dough crumbles or breaks apart, press it back together with your fingertips.
- Loosely roll the dough around the rolling pin, then gently unroll it over a 9-inch tart pan. Press the dough firmly into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Trim any excess dough.
- Cover the dough with parchment paper or foil. Fill with pie weights or dried beans (you will need about 2 pounds). Bake 12 minutes.
- Remove pie weights or beans and parchment paper or foil. Return to oven and bake until golden brown and fully cooked, about 10 to 15 minutes longer. Cool completely.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 1 (9-inch) tart crust.
- Storage: Unbaked tart dough may be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling out to bake.
- Fresh fruit tart: This tart crust was designed to be filled with pastry cream, topped with fresh fruit, and brushed with a shiny apricot glaze.
Fresh Fruit Tart
Loaded with a lush assortment of seasonal berries and other fruit, there’s nothing quite as lovely as a Fresh Fruit Tart. You’ll also learn some baking basics, like a tart crust and pastry cream, along…
View Recipe
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How to Make Tart Crust
Learn how to make a tart crust that is crisp yet tender, rich and buttery in flavor, and a little sweet (pâte sucrée). It's a classic French recipe that is easy to master.
Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons butter softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour sifted
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
To make the tart dough:
- In a standing mixer fit with the paddle attachment, or with an electric mixer by hand, cream the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add egg. Continue mixing until combined, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Add vanilla and salt, mix until combined.
- Reduce mixer speed to low. Add flour and baking powder and blend until the dough comes together (do not over-mix). Scrape dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap tightly and chill at least 1 hour.
To blind-bake the tart crust:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a thickness of 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch. If the dough crumbles or breaks apart, press it back together with your fingertips.
- Loosely roll the dough around the rolling pin, then gently unroll it over a 9-inch tart pan. Press the dough firmly into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Trim any excess dough.
- Cover the dough with parchment paper or foil. Fill with pie weights or dried beans (you will need about 2 pounds; see note 1). Bake 12 minutes.
- Remove pie weights and parchment paper. Return to oven and bake until golden brown and fully cooked, about 10 to 15 minutes longer. Cool completely.
Notes
- Pie weights: Used when blind-baking a crust so the crust stays flat. You can use store-bought pie weights or substitute dried beans (you cannot eat the beans after they’ve been baked). After baking, cool the beans completely and store them in a plastic bag for future baking projects.
- Yield: This recipe makes 1 (9-inch) tart crust.
- Storage: Unbaked tart dough may be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling out to bake.
- Fresh fruit tart: This tart crust was designed to be filled with pastry cream, topped with fresh fruit, and brushed with a shiny apricot glaze.
Nutrition
Calories: 197kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 3gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 182mgPotassium: 28mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 336IUCalcium: 16mgIron: 1mg
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
This was so good to go with my fruit tart.