Dessert · Pastry
Small-Batch Sweet Tart Dough (Pâte Sucrée)
Cream softened butter with confectioners sugar, mix in weighed eggs, then add flour only until the dough comes together. Chill thoroughly before lining a tart pan.
- Yield
- 1 small batch
- Cuisine
- French-inspired
Bring it to the table
Weigh the egg mixture
Lightly beat whole egg before weighing 25 g. Weigh the extra yolks separately so the small batch keeps its balance.
At the table
Use with a tart filling prepared separately, choosing a partially or fully baked shell to suit that filling.
Before you start
Gather your ingredients.
Full quantities and serving adjustments are in the recipe card below.
See the ingredient checklist
- 70 g unsalted butter — softened
- 62.5 g confectioners sugar
- 32.5 g egg yolks — weighed without whites
- 25 g whole egg — lightly beaten, weighed without shell
- 168 g all-purpose flour — plus a little for rolling
A few useful notes.
The control represents one small dough batch; tart size and thickness determine how much is needed.
Baking times are checking points and depend on the pan and thickness.
Keep unbaked dough refrigerated and use within 2 days, or freeze promptly. Do not taste raw dough.
The cooking plan
How to make Small-Batch Sweet Tart Dough (Pâte Sucrée).
Mix the softened butter and confectioners sugar until smooth. Lightly beat the measured whole egg and yolks together, then mix into the butter in small additions, scraping the bowl.
Add the flour and mix on low speed or by hand just until the dough comes together. Do not keep beating once combined. Flatten into a disc, wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Let the dough soften just enough to roll. Roll about 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface or between parchment sheets. Fit into a tart pan without stretching and trim; save spare dough. The amount used depends on the pan. Prick the base lightly and freeze the lined pan for about 30 minutes.
For an unfilled shell, heat the oven to 375°F. Set the pan on a baking sheet, line with parchment and fill with pie weights. Bake, checking around 20–25 minutes, until the sides are set and the lining lifts without pulling away raw dough.
Remove lining and weights carefully. For a fully baked shell, return to the oven until the base is dry and golden, checking after another 5–10 minutes. For a filling that needs further baking, follow that tart recipe after the initial bake. Cool before adding a no-bake filling.
Let’s cook
The full recipe.
Check off ingredients as you get them ready.
Changing servings? The ingredient list scales automatically. Adjust quantities named in the steps to match, and choose pans and cooking times for your batch.
Small-Batch Sweet Tart Dough (Pâte Sucrée)
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Ingredients
Equipment
Equipment images are illustrative. Exact products may vary.
Instructions
- Mix the softened butter and confectioners sugar until smooth. Lightly beat the measured whole egg and yolks together, then mix into the butter in small additions, scraping the bowl.
- Add the flour and mix on low speed or by hand just until the dough comes together. Do not keep beating once combined. Flatten into a disc, wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Let the dough soften just enough to roll. Roll about 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface or between parchment sheets. Fit into a tart pan without stretching and trim; save spare dough. The amount used depends on the pan. Prick the base lightly and freeze the lined pan for about 30 minutes.
- For an unfilled shell, heat the oven to 375°F. Set the pan on a baking sheet, line with parchment and fill with pie weights. Bake, checking around 20–25 minutes, until the sides are set and the lining lifts without pulling away raw dough.
- Remove lining and weights carefully. For a fully baked shell, return to the oven until the base is dry and golden, checking after another 5–10 minutes. For a filling that needs further baking, follow that tart recipe after the initial bake. Cool before adding a no-bake filling.
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!A couple of useful answers.
Why rest the dough?
Chilling firms the butter and lets the dough relax before rolling and lining.
Should I fully bake it before adding a filling?
That depends on the filling. A no-bake filling needs a fully baked shell; a filling that cooks in the tart may call for a partial bake.
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