Techniques › Baking and pastry
Making a tart shell
Intermediate Baking and pastry
Making a tart shell is making a firm, crisp, cookie-like pastry and fitting it into a tart pan with a removable bottom.
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How do you do it?
- Use a sweet tart dough with egg and sugar. Chill it at least 1 hour so it's firm but bendable.
- Roll it about 1/8 inch thick between parchment sheets, or press crumbles evenly into the pan with your fingers.
- Press the dough into the corners, roll the pin over the top to trim, and patch any thin spots with scraps.
- Freeze the lined pan 15 to 30 minutes, then bake at about 350 to 375°F until golden.
Why does it work?
Sugar and egg yolk make tart dough tender and short, more like a cookie than flaky pie crust, so it rolls best between parchment and tolerates patching. Freezing the lined pan firms the butter and relaxes the gluten, so the sides hold their shape and don't slump or shrink as the fat melts before the flour sets.
What are the common mistakes?
- Stretching dough into the corners — it shrinks back down the sides as it bakes.
- Baking it at room temperature — the walls slump into the pan.
- Leaving thick corners — doughy, underbaked edges.
Still stuck? Watch someone do it on YouTube.
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