How do they make tart shells so perfect?

[AAQuesada]

This is the one I have

 

Ingredients:

Flour 400g

Butter 200g

Egg yolks 120g

Icing sugar 70g

Milk (lukewarm) 30g

Salt 8g

 

1.  Sift flour onto a large piece of greaseproof paper.

2.  Warm butter until very soft (almost liquid, but without breaking the emulsion).

3.  Whip butter until white.

4.  In a separate bowl, combine egg yolks and icing sugar.  Whip until pale and creamy.

5.  Incorporate milk and salt.

6.  Pour the egg mixture into the whipped butter, and whisk to fully combine.  Scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is homogenous.

7.  Pour the sifted flour into the butter mixture.

8.  Mix with a wooden spoon (or mixer paddle) until fully combined.  Scrape the bottom of the bowl again.

9.  Scrape onto cling film, wrap, press flat and refrigerate for at least one hour, preferably   overnight.

10.  Knead gently until pliable. Roll out to the thickness of a £1 coin.

11.  Cut a circle around 2cm larger than your tart circle/tin in the pastry.

12.  Line the tin, ensuring you've pushed the dough into the bottom edge all the way round (to avoid the sides collapsing in the oven).  Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

13.  Preheat the oven to 180°C.

14.  Remove the dough from the fridge and trim the edges with a paring knife.  Prick the base with a fork.

15.  Bake for 12-18 minutes, until lightly golden.  Leave to cool before unmolding.

[jmacnaughtan]

5 hours ago, AAQuesada said:

Can you do Pate Brisee in the same manner? or do you prefer cold butter. Just curious,  but I like these technical details. I notice that Laiskonis uses a small amount of baking powder in his pate sablee which I don't recall seeing elsewhere as well. 

 

I imagine you could, but I don't really use it.

 

4 hours ago, DeanTheBaker said:

@AAQuesada @jmacnaughtan
Is this recipe the one you guys are talking about?

 

Yeah, that's the one.  I knew it was there somewhere

 

ETA: I think @JohnT uses this one too.

Edited September 6, 2018 by jmacnaughtan (log)

[Pete Fred]

5 hours ago, AAQuesada said:

Can you do Pate Brisee in the same manner?

 

Pierre Hermé does in Larousse des Desserts.

 

190g butter (room temp), 50g milk (or water), 5g salt, 20g egg yolk, 250g flour

 

Beat the butter. Dissolve salt in milk and beat into the butter. Beat in the yolk. Work in the flour (fraisage).

[AAQuesada]

Worked out perfectly. Just wanted to follow up with a  picture of the savory tart I made