Pâte Brisée (French Pie Pastry)

Pâte Brisée (French Pie Pastry)

pate brasee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pâte Brisée is a French type of pie pastry used to make crusts for both savory and sweet pies and tarts. It is rich and buttery. If you have been having challenges rolling out pie dough, you will find this dough easy to work with. It is very forgiving. I however find it not to be as flaky as regular pie dough like my simple pie dough. This is an adaptation of a recipe by Bruno Albouze.

Butternut Squash-Sweet Potato Pie with Pâte Brisée

Butternut Squash-Sweet Potato Pie with Pâte Brisée

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS

(1) 210 Grams All Purpose Flour (1-2/3 Cups)

(2) 80 Grams Cornmeal or Semolina (6 Tablespoons)

(3) 1 Tablespoon Granulated White Sugar

(4) 1/4 Teaspoon Salt

(5) 170 Grams Unsalted Butter (3/4 Cup) (See Note 1)

(6) 1 Large Egg

(7) 1 Egg Yolk

(8) 1/2 Tablespoon Cold Water

NOTES:

(1) Butter should be cold and hard in order to create a flaky crust. Cut the butter into small chunks. If using salted butter, omit the salt in this recipe.

Cranberry-Walnut Tart with Pâte brisée

Cranberry-Walnut Tart with Pâte brisée

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PROCEDURE:

(1) Place all the dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse a few times to mix.

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(2) Add cold butter to dry ingredients and pulse until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Do not over process.

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(3) Add egg, egg yolk and water and pulse until the dough comes together.

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(4) Turn dough on counter and shape into a disk or slab. Wrap dough in cling film and allow to rest for a couple of hours in the fridge or until firm.

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TIP: It is easier to roll out pie dough when it is cold.

(5) After a couple of hours, place dough on a lightly floured surface and break into chunks. Mold dough into a disk again and start rolling out with rolling pin.

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(6) To roll dough, roll pin from the center of the dough outwards. Rotate the dough after each roll so as to get an even crust. Rotating dough also ensures that it does not stick to the counter surface.

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(7) Roll dough on rolling pin and transfer to an 8 or 9 inch tart pan or pie dish.

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(8) Tuck dough into edges of pan to properly line pan. Do not stretch dough or it would shrink during baking.

TIP: You can use a piece of the pie dough to press the dough to the sides of the pan.

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(9) Run rolling pin over pan to remove excess dough.

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Note: You also have the option of crimping the edges of your pie dough. This can be done with your fingers and knuckles.

pate brasee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(10) Poke sides and bottom of crust to prevent the crust from swelling up during baking. Keep crust in the fridge for an hour to become firm again. If your recipe does not call for a pre-baked pie dough, the dough is ready to be used after an hour in the fridge.

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(11) If pre-baking your pie crust, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. After an hour in the fridge, cover the crust with aluminium foil and fill with pie weight. This can be rice, beans or store bought pie weights. I have some brown beans which I use solely for this purpose.

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(12) Bake pie in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Take off aluminium foil with weights and bake for another 25 minutes.

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The Pâte brisée can now be used.

Butternut Squash-Sweet Potato Pie with Candied Sweet Potatoes, Cognac Sauce and Baked Pie Dough Cutouts.

Butternut Squash-Sweet Potato Pie with Candied Sweet Potatoes, Cognac Sauce and Baked Pie Dough Cutouts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

END TIP:

Roll out leftover pie dough and cut with cookie cutter. Score and brush with egg yolk and bake in 400 degree oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Use baked cutouts to decorate pie or tart.

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For other pie crusts, click here for a Shortbread Pie Crust and here for a Simple Pie Crust.

pie crust

 

 

 

Terry Adido is passionate about showing people how easy it is to recreate restaurant quality meals in the comfort of their kitchens. With a style of cooking he refers to as Afro-European Fusion, his meals are influenced greatly by French and Italian Cuisine with a West African twist. If you love good food, you are in for the ride of your life.

6 comments on “Pâte Brisée (French Pie Pastry)
  1. Vivian says:

    Pls can this be use in Nigeria meat pie.thanks.and wat if u don’t have the semolina

  2. folasade olarewaju lawal says:

    Thanks Terry,

  3. Joy says:

    Hi Terry. I have a few questions please.1. Can one use a Cake Mixer to make the dough? And where both machines are available (a cake mixer and a food processor), is one more suitable than the other, or can either of them be used? 2. Please can a Pizza pan be used, instead of a Tart pan or a Pie dish? 3. Please what’s the essence of a Pie Weight? Thank you so much for helping me become better. You rock!

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