3000 miles 'til dinner.

This basic pastry is beautiful for the  Savory Tart. It can also be used to encase any sweet or savory pie/tart you bake. It is the same recipe as the Sweet Tart Crust recipe in the Pecan Tarts, just no sugar. 

Prep time - making and rolling pastry:  20 minutes

Chilling/freezing prepared pastry shell:  10 minutes

Baking time:  10 minutes

Quantity:  enough for 2 - 9” tart or pie shells

♥PANTRY, FRIDGE, MARKET♥

2 1/2 C. unbleached flour

2 cubes cold, unsalted butter, cut into 20 pieces

1 t. fine sea salt

1 egg yolk

1/2 C. cold water

♥Prep - food processor

Pulse flour and salt to mix. Add butter pieces. Pulse 8-10 times until butter is incorporated into flour and resembles”coarse meal” ( little specks of butter still visible).

Mix egg yolk with water. With processor on, drizzle water and egg mix slowly through the feed tube, until pastry comes together. Stop processor; pinch pastry between your fingers to test consistency —  it should hold together, not crumble and fall apart or be too sticky. If sticky, add a little more flour, 1 T. at a time. If too dry, and you’ve used all your egg/water mixture, add water, 1 T. at a time.

♥ Rolling out pastry

Place dough on floured surface, divide in half and let rest for 20 minutes. Roll each portion out into a 11” circle,  adding flour to the surface as you need it. Fold each pastry circle in half and lift into tart pan, gently pressing into bottom and sides of pan. With a small knife, slice pastry off along the rim, creating a clean edge. Prick bottom with fork tongs.

♥ Chilling 

Place shells in the freezer for 10 minutes.

♥ Baking - 400 degrees

Line chilled tart shell(s) with parchment or foil, being sure to pull up along sides of the pastry.

Fill with 1-1/2 C dried legumes or rice, spreading up sides and along bottom.

Bake shell for 10 minutes then check shell to make sure sides aren’t ‘sliding down. If they are, used a fork to press up sides. If sides are “set in place/pastry not sliding” remove paper/foil and beans; continue to bake until bottom is set. The crust should be just set, not brown.

♥WAYS TO “just wing it” ♥    considerations or substitutions

consider: 1 C. whole wheat pastry flour and 1 1/2 C. unbleached flour (although dough will be a little harder to work with)

consider combo of butter with: heart healthy “butter”, Crisco, duck fat or lard

sub: pie pan for tart pan

♥ Helpful Hints♥

*no rolling pin?  wine bottle or jar, work in a pinch!

*less messy: pastry can be rolled betweens sheets of plastic wrap

*unbaked tart shells (in stainless, glass or ceramic pans) can be frozen for 1 month

*balls of tart dough can be frozen for 1 month

*recycle: save your baking legumes/rice —- use again and again

(MIL post)