Feb 13, 2022

Simple Tart Dough

Use this simple tart dough recipe for sweet or savoury tarts.

Anytime you want to bake a beautiful tart from scratch, it won't take more than a few minutes to make this simple crust. The best part is, you can make any adjustments for dietary restrictions needed, and save the cost of a frozen tart crust.

This recipe makes 1, 9-inch tart base. For a gluten-free dough, substitute the all-purpose flour with a mixture of cassava flour and tapioca flour (see ingredients list for amounts). Otherwise, this dough is intended to be sugar-free. I've also included more common ingredient options if dietary restrictions are not a concern; however, they will alter the noted calorie count.

TIP: To add a nuttiness to this dough, add up to 2 tablespoons of ground almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc. to the flour mixture before adding the butter.

TIP: This is a sweet dough desserts. For use in savoury dishes, reduce or eliminate the sweetener.

TIP: It is important to keep this dough as cold as possible throughout the entire preparation. If it seems the butter is getting soft or the dough is getting sticky, stop and put it in the refrigerator or freezer for 5 minutes before continuing. Do this as needed.

Ingredients

(Makes 8 servings | 1 tart shell)

1 large egg yolk, cold
2 tablespoons ice water (more or less depending on the flour being used)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, cold
1, 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (or 1 cup cassava flour + 1/4 cup tapioca flour for a gluten-free dough)
1/3 cup monk fruit sweetener (or granulated sugar) (reduce or eliminate for savoury tarts)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (1 stick) unsalted plant-based butter, very cold, cut into small cubes (or dairy-based butter)

Directions

Before you begin, ensure all of the equipment and ingredients are well chilled.

In a small mixing bowl, add the egg yolk, ice water (no ice), and pure vanilla extract. Whisk lightly to combine then cover and set aside in the refrigerator until needed.

Keep butter cold while its being incorporated!

In a large mixing bowl add the cassava and tapioca flours, sweetener, and salt. Whish to combine. Using a pastry cutter, incorporate the butter into the dry ingredients until the texture reaches that of coarse cornmeal with the butter pieces being no larger than small peas. If at any point you think the butter is becoming too warm (especially if you are working in warm kitchen) then cover and refrigerate the mixture for 15 minutes before continuing.

Add the water and mix until the dough starts to pull together. If the dough is very dry, add a 1/4 teaspoon of water at a time until it starts to hold together. The dough should not have any large dry areas or be too crumbly. (NOTE: For the gluten-free version, it may take a little time for the flour to absorb the water. After adding the water and giving it an initial mix, put it in the refrigerator for 5 minutes to allow time for hydration.)

Lay out a large sheet of clingwrap then turn out the dough. Pat the dough together into a ball then flatten into a disk. Wrap the clingwrap around the dough and continue forming it with a rolling pin into a 1-inch-think disk. Refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes, or until ready to use.

Lightly flour a flat working surface and unwrap the dough. Roll the dough, manipulating it as little as possible, into a round that will fit the diameter of your tart pan plus an extra inch-and-a-half to 2-inches in width to account for the depth of the pan. Don't be afraid to flip the dough over often as you roll it to help keep an even thickness all around. Use the rolling pin to help transfer the dough into the tart pan. Lift the edges of the dough to help fit it fully to the shape of the tart pan so it covers the bottom and sides completely. Ideally, there should still be some dough hanging over the edge (this will be trimmed after par baking or blind baking and will help offset any shrinkage). Cover with clingwrap and set aside in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

To blind bake, preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Dock the bottom and sides of the dough before placing a sheet of parchment paper inside the tart shell and filling completely to the top with pie weights. Place the art in the centre of the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the dough turns a light golden brown. If you see any damp spots, continue baking for an additional few minutes, or until the damp spots are baked. Remove from the oven and let rest for a few minutes, Using a sharp knife, trim off any excess dough along the edge then unmould from the tart pan onto a cooling rack. Cool until room temperature before using in a tart recipe.

If not using right away, wrap with clingwrap, store in an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 weeks.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: