In North America, this style of dough is called tart dough, or possibly short dough.  In France it’s known as pâte brisée.^[1]

Pie dough has clumps of butter that separate the sheets of flour and water, creating a tender, flaky crust.  Tart dough is not flaky.  It has a very fine, even texture, and a delicate crispiness.  Actually it’s kind of like a thin shortbread cookie.  The butter is incorporated as tiny uniform pieces, instead of the irregular chunks in pie dough.  The cook also has to be careful not to develop too much gluten, otherwise the cooked tart will be tough.

Besides being the base for classic tarts, this dough could also be used for custard-type … Continue reading.