Living Awry

A simple, flaky sweet tart dough that rolls easily and holds up to fillings. Chill well and handle gently for best texture.

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Ingredients

• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups (150 g) all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (67 g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick, 113 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes

Instructions

1. Combine dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt until evenly blended.
2. Cut in the butter: Add the cold cubed butter to the dry mixture. Use a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingertips to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea sized pieces of butter remaining. Work quickly to keep the butter cold.
3. Mix wet ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk, cold water, and vanilla extract together.
4. Bring the dough together: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Using a fork or your hands, gently mix until the dough just comes together. It should form clumps and hold if you squeeze a small amount. Do not overwork the dough.
5. Shape and chill: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a disk or two smaller disks. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to 48 hours.
6. Roll out: When chilled, lightly flour the work surface and roll the dough from center to edge to the thickness called for in your tart pan (usually about 1/8 inch). Transfer to the tart pan, trim the edges, and press gently into the corners. Chill again for 15 minutes before baking if the recipe calls for blind baking.
7. Bake or blind bake as needed: For prebaked tart shells, line the shell with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake at 375 F (190 C) for 15 to 20 minutes, remove weights and parchment, then bake another 8 to 10 minutes until golden. Follow your tart recipe for filled baking times.

Tips

• Keep everything cold. Cold butter gives a flaky crust. Chill tools and bowl briefly if your kitchen is warm.
• Do not overwork the dough. Overmixing develops gluten and makes the crust tough.
• If the dough cracks while rolling, press the cracks together and chill for a few minutes before continuing.
• For extra flavor, substitute 1 tablespoon of sugar with finely ground almond meal or add 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest.
• To freeze: wrap disks tightly and freeze up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator before rolling.

Storage

Refrigerate wrapped dough for up to 48 hours. Freeze for up to 1 month. Baked tart shells keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, or in the freezer for longer storage.

Allergens & Notes

Contains: egg and dairy (butter). For dairy-free dough, substitute vegan butter or chilled coconut shortening and test texture. For egg-free version, replace the egg yolk with 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch and adjust as needed.

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