The origin of the shortbread tart dough

For this month’s challenge of the Daring Bakers, I made a shortbread tart dough.

This type of tart dough is one of the pastry fundamentals you MUST master as it is widely employed. But what is its origin? Where does it come from?

The shortbread tart dough was born in France, in the town of Sablée-sur-Sarthe (near Le Mans), whence its French name “pâte sablée” (“sablée dough”).

View of Sablé sur Sarthe

There might be other reasons why its name is “sablée”, though: in French, “sable” means “sand“, and this tart dough happens to have a sandy (“very crumbly”) texture when baked.

Moreover, the kneading method is called “sablage” as well, since it involves making a coarse “sand” by mixing flour and cold diced butter.