Homemade Sweet Dough for Pies

This is the home baker’s version of pate sucree, the slightly sweetened French pastry dough that’s the foundation for fruit tarts and dessert pies across Europe. The recipe leans on three details that take it above the standard pie crust. First, the sugar and tiny amount of baking powder give the dough a lift and a faint sandy crumb that’s distinctly different from a flaky pie crust. Second, two whole eggs replace the cold water you’d normally use, which adds richness and structural protein that holds the crust together cleanly when sliced. Third, the food processor method does what’s hardest to do by hand: cuts the cold butter into the flour fast and uniform, before the heat of your hands can melt it. The result is a dough that handles like a dream, rolls out without cracking, and bakes up tender and golden. The 1-hour chill is mandatory, not optional. Cold butter is what creates the layers of flakiness, and warm dough turns greasy in the oven.

Pro Tips

• Keep the butter cold all the way through. Cube it from the fridge straight into the processor, and don’t let the dough sit at room temperature.
• Don’t overprocess after the eggs go in. Pulse just until the dough forms a ball; more processing develops gluten and toughens the crust.
• The dough may seem too sticky at first. Resist adding more flour. The 1-hour chill firms it up to a workable texture.
• Roll between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap to skip extra flour, which can dry the dough out.
• Freeze unused dough for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before rolling.

Variations

• Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon of almond extract for flavored crusts.
• Substitute ¼ cup of almond flour for some of the regular flour for a nuttier, more European tart base.
• Stir in 1 tablespoon of finely grated lemon or orange zest for citrus tarts.