This savory pie crust works well with every kind of quiche or savory tart.
1/4 lb. (110 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg yolk
1 cup (130 g) plus 2 tbsp. flour
pinch of salt
In a large bowl, cut the butter into small pieces. Using two table knives, cut in the egg yolk, then the flour and salt. This is easily done. Simply hold the knives parallel to each other and cut in opposite directions.
When the butter is well coated with flour, go in with your hands for the final blending. Mix until the dough is no longer sticky and holds together in a ball. You may need to add a bit more flour. Form a smooth ball and let the dough rest for a minute or two.
Now pat the dough into your pie or tart pan, taking care to ensure there are no cracks. Do not prick the dough. Place in the fridge to cool for at least 10 minutes.
I was surprised by how simple and effective this recipe was to make. I was even more surprised at the outcome; perfect. My only dilemma was I had only enough dough to cover the bottom of a 10″ tart pan and a bit of the side ( in other words, I could not pat the dough enough to get to the top of the tin). Is the recipe for a 9″ tin? If not any suggestions? I used this for the pear and Roquefort tart. The finished tart was outstanding. Thanks
Michael, I’m so glad the tart crust worked out well for you. And yes, I should have specified the tart pan size in the recipe! If you’re using a 10″ pan, then I’d suggest using 2 more tablespoons of butter (for a total of 10 tbsp.) and using 1-1/4 cup of flour. It should still work. I will adjust the recipe in due course. Many thanks for writing in!
This pate brisee is so amazing! No more dealing with chilled butter and worrying about it melting in my hands!
Yes, this recipe is an absolute classic. I started making French pastry this way at the Café Dewitt in Ithaca, NY, back in around 1976 and have made it hundreds of times since then — either in this savory version or, for fruit tarts, in the sweet version (pâte sablée). Once you get the hang of it, you won’t look back.