Pâte brisée
Cuisine: French
Prep time: 2 hours 15 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Total time: 2 hours 30 mins
Ingredients
  • ½ cup (115g) and 2 tablespoons butter, softened at room temperature
  • 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour, sifted
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 6 to 7 tablespoons water
Instructions
  1. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter with the salt. Slowly add in flour, mixing by hand, until thoroughly combined and soft.
  2. Flatten the dough and make a well in the middle of the dough. Pour in the water, one tablespoon at a time, and stir with your index finger in a spiral manner, from the inside of the well to the outside. Continue pouring the water until the dough no longer sticks to your fingers and until it is soft enough to roll into a ball. Irma's recipe calls for 5 to 6 tablespoons of water only, however I found that I needed a bit more to reach the right consistency. Judge how much water you need to reach the right consistency, but no more than 7 tablespoons should do.
  3. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 36 hours.
  4. Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F.
  5. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out with a rolling pin to form a circle.
  6. Prick the shell gently with a fork and fill with weights before putting it in the oven to make sure it bakes evenly.
  7. Bake the shell for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from oven, let cool, and fill with your favorite ingredients.
Notes
Recipe barely adapted from The Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer

MAKE IT DAIRY-FREE: Substitute the butter for margarine
Recipe by Savormania at http://www.savormania.com/pate-brisee/