Shortbread tart dough (Pâte sablée)
The shortbread tart dough is one of the basic types of dough that can be used for tarts shells and biscuits. Its main ingredients are pastry flour, butter, sugar and eggs.
On this blog I’m currently writing a series of articles on this fundamental dough in pastry, so I’m collecting them all on this page:
- The recipe of the shortbread tart dough
- The origin of the shortbread tart dough
- How to store the dough in the fridge (hint: not as a ball!)
Coming soon…
- How to make shortbread tart dough
- What’s the difference between shortbread tart dough and sweet tart dough or flaky dough?
- Why is shortbread tart dough made that way?
- Why does the dough have to be chilled/rest in the fridge before using?
- How to roll out the dough
- How to bake shortbread tart dough (and for how long)
Shortbread tart dough
Print recipeIngredients
| 250g | Pastry flour (sifted) |
| 200g | Unsalted butter (cold) |
| 100g | Powdered sugar |
| 15g | Honey |
| 25g | Eggs ((1/2 egg, slightly beaten)) |
| 1 pinch | Salt |
| Zest of 1/2 lemon | |
| 1/4 teaspoon | Vanilla seeds |
Directions
1
Put the flour and the diced butter in a bowl
2
Mix together the two ingredients quickly (to keep the butter cold) by using the tip of your fingers only. Do not overmix and stop when you obtain a coarse mixture (the so-called "sable"/"sand").
3
Add the remaining ingredients and mix by hand to obtain a homogeneous dough
4
If necessary, to avoid overmixing, you can knead with the palm of your hand once or twice maximum (technique: put the dough in front of you; starting from the farthest end, push a small amount of dough away with the palm of your hand; repeat until all the dough has been "pushed away")
5
Wrap in a plastic film, flatten and store for 12 hours
Note
- It is very important that the butter be cold when mixed with the flour: the purpose of the "sablage" method is to isolate the flour with particles of fat; if the fat is not cold enough, this action cannot be performed correctly
- This recipe is very rich in butter, so the dough should definitely rest for hours in the fridge, otherwise it will be too difficult to roll out
- The unbaked dough can be stored in the fridge for 2 days or in the freezer for 3-4 months. Baked tart doughs can be stored for several days in a dry environment away from light and air.