Pate Brisee

makes 1 pie crust
Recipe from Barbara Kafka

Unlike the very sweet pâte sucrée, this classic pastry dough has just a touch of sugar. To make it in a food processor, pulse the butter-flour mixture until it resembles oatmeal. With the machine running, slowly pour the water through the feed tube until the dough starts to form a ball.

This recipe is part of the Barbara Kafka Dessert Anthology.

instructions

1. Cut the butter into 16 pieces. Place the flour, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the butter. With your fingertips, quickly blend the butter into the flour mixture until they are fairly well blended and the mixture resembles oatmeal.

2. Pour in 3 tablespoons water and work the dough into a ball. If it is too dry to form a ball, dribble in a little more water. Form it into a smooth ball, wrap it in waxed paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. (This relaxes the gluten.)

3. When the dough has chilled, unwrap it and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Press the dough into a disc about 1-inch thick. Lightly flour your rolling pin and roll the disc into a 10-inch circle, rolling in all directions. (Check to see that the dough isn’t sticking. If it is throw some more flour under the dough.)

4. When the dough has been rolled out large enough, either roll it over the rolling pin and then unroll it centered on a tart pan or fold it into quarters and unfold it over the tart pan. Press, don’t pull, the dough into the corners and sides of the pan. Cut the excess dough off with a knife.

5. Line the dough with a single sheet of aluminum foil and then fill the pan with rice or beans. These serve to weight down the crust so it holds its shape until it has baked enough to hold the shape on its own.

6. Bake the shell in the preheated oven for 9 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven and remove the foil and rice (it can be reused). Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork all over to prevent the crust’s puffing up. Return the crust to the oven and bake for an additional 10 to 12 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned and completely baked. Remove and let cool before filling.