Essential Pate Brisee Recipes

PATE BRISEE (FRENCH SHORTCRUST)

Steps:

• Place flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse 3 or 4 times to mix. Add cubed butter; pulse until crumbly.
• Pour slow stream of ice water through feed tube while the processor is on low speed until dough holds together when pinched, making sure not to add too much.
• Divide dough evenly into 2 pieces. Form dough into discs on a lightly floured work surface. Wrap discs with wax paper or parchment paper before wrapping with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until use.
• Roll dough out on a lightly floured work surface using a lightly floured rolling pin between 2 pieces of parchment paper to desired thickness when ready to use.
• Butter two 9-inch tart pans. Roll crusts 1 at a time onto the rolling pin and unroll over tart pans. Gently push dough into the prepared pans, molding to the sides. Trim edges with fingers or a knife. Fill and bake according to filling recipe instructions.

PATE BRISEE (PIE DOUGH)

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
• With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.

MARTHA STEWART'S PATE BRISEE -- BASIC PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Secrets to a good pie crust: chilled ingredients and chilled dough. Margarine or shortening can be used instead of butter (but butter is my favorite!).
• Put flour, salt and sugar in a bowl, blender or food processor. Add the pieces of butter and process approximately 10 seconds or until it resembles "coarse meal.".
• Add ice water drop by drop while machine is running (or you are mixing)--- just until dough holds together without being wet or sticky. Do not mix longer than 30 seconds.
• Roll dough out on a piece of plastic wrap. Press down slightly. Chill for at least one hour.

PATE BRISEE

Steps:

• Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process a few seconds to mix. Quarter the 3/4 stick of butter lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch pieces. Scatter the cubes of butter evenly over the flour. Pulse the machine until the butter pieces are about the size of lentils.
• Place half the ice water in the bottom of a bowl. Turn the flour/butter mixture onto it and pour the remaining water evenly over the top. Using a large rubber spatula, fold the mixture until it is evenly moistened. Squeeze it; it should hold together. If not, sprinkle in a little more water and gently mix.
• Turn the mixture out on the table and quickly frisage: using the palm of your hand, push sections of the dough away from you against the table. Gather the dough together and frisage any portions that were missed. Form the mass into whatever shape you will be rolling out (ie, disk for round, cylinder for rectangle), and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days. Dough can be frozen for up to 3 months.

PâTE BRISéE

Steps:

• Pulse flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor (or whisk together by hand in a bowl). Add butter, and pulse (or quickly cut in with a pastry blender or your fingertips) until mixture resembles coarse meal, with some larger pieces remaining. Drizzle 1/4 cup water over mixture. Pulse (or mix with a fork) until mixture just begins to hold together. If dough is too dry, add 1/4 cup more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse (or mix with a fork).
• Divide dough in half onto two pieces of plastic wrap. Gather into two balls, wrap loosely in plastic, and press each into a disk using a rolling pin. Refrigerate until firm, well wrapped in plastic, 1 hour or up to 1 day. (Dough can be frozen up to 3 months; thaw in refrigerator before using.)
• Shortening Variation
• Replace 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter with 1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces.
• Lard Variation
• Replace 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter with 1/2 cup cold lard. For the best quality, it's worth seeking out leaf lard. You can buy rendered leaf lard from online vendors, or from artisanal butcher shops.
• Cornmeal Variation
• Replace 1/2 cup flour with 1/2 cup coarse cornmeal.
• Cheddar Variation
• Reduce butter to 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) and add 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar to the flour mixture along with the butter. Increase sugar to 1 tablespoon.

PâTE BRISéE

Steps:

• Put the flour, sugar, and salt into a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and process until you have some pea-sized lumps left.
• Beat the egg and water together lightly and add to the processor. Process only until the dough comes together.
• Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide in half. Form each half into a small brick, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before rolling.
• This dough will keep for several days in the refrigerator and for 2 months in the freezer. Defrost before rolling.

PATE BRISEE

Steps:

• Place 1 3/4 cups of the flour in a food processor. Add the butter and salt and process until well mixed. Add the egg and oil. Process for 30 seconds, adding more flour as needed if the mixture is too wet. (The mixture should resemble coarse cornmeal.) Add the ice water and process for another 30 seconds.
• Remove the dough and form into a ball. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes. When ready to use, roll out the dough on a lightly floured board.

PATE BRISEE

Steps:

• Sift flour and salt into a mixing bowl.
• Cut in butter until it is the size of large peas.
• Add water tablespoon by tablespoon; knead lightly to form a dough and chill before using.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• To make pastry lids for pies, divide dough into 4 portions and roll each portion into a round 1/8 inch thick. Crumple 16 pieces of foil into large marble-size pieces and spread melted butter over them to prevent pastry from sticking to foil. Place each pastry round on top of 4 pieces of crumpled foil and bake until golden brown, 15 minutes. It may be necessary to turn over the pastries to brown on both sides.