Pate Brisee Pastry Dough

By
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin is a freelance lifestyle writer and recipe developer. Her expertise is in French cuisine, which she writes about and teaches.
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Updated on 07/23/21
Pastry dough
Eugene Mymrin / Getty Images
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Chill: 4 hrs
Total: 4 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 8 to 16 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
173 Calories
12g Fat
15g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 16
Amount per serving
Calories 173
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 7g 37%
Cholesterol 31mg 10%
Sodium 158mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 15g 5%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 7mg 1%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 24mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This butter-based pastry dough is a recipe that’s popular in France. Use it to make both sweet and savory pies and tarts.

Cooks note: Quick and cold… The secret to flaky pastry is to handle it as little as possible. When mixing the wet ingredients into the dry, stop once it sticks together to form the cohesive dough. Run your hands under cold water for a few minutes and pat dry before handling the dough. This prevents the dough from melting together and being “processed” by your body heat.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup butter, cold

  • 1/3 cup water, cold

Steps to Make It

  1. In a small bowl, mix together the flour and salt.

  2. Using a pastry cutter, large-tined fork, or a food processor on pulse setting, cut the chilled butter into the flour until it resembles coarse sand with a few pea-sized pieces of butter still visible.

  3. Sprinkle the water evenly over the mixture and toss gently a few times, just until it forms a ball that holds together.

  4. Separate the dough into two balls, flatten slightly into thick disk shapes, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for several hours before working with it.

For fast preparation: Put the dough in the freezer for 40 to 50 minutes before working with it.