Our pte brise--butter, salt, along with a little water to create it altogether--is really as traditional like a crust will get. Sebastien loves to add a little bit of milk and egg to a lot of of his doughs, for richness and binding power, however this pte brise reflects my long lasting respect for classical technique. It is something every prepare should master--it's all too easy and thus versatile. Pte brise can be used for savory tarts, for example quiches, as well as for very sweet tarts.
- All-purpose flour: 140 grams/1 cup 165 grams/1 cup + 3 tablespoons
- Kosher salt: 3 grams/1 teaspoon
- Cold unsalted butter. reduce 1/4-inch cubes: 227 grams/8 ounces
- Cold water: 58 grams/1/4 cup
1. Put the 140 grams/1 cup flour and also the salt within the bowl of the stand mixer fitted using the paddle attachment and blend to mix. Using the mixer running on low speed, add some butter a little handful at any given time. When all of the butter continues to be added, boost the speed to medium-low and blend for around one minute, before the butter is completely blended. Scrape lower the edges and bottom from the bowl. Turn the rate to medium-low, add some remaining 165 grams/1 cup plus 3 tablespoons flour, and blend simply to combine. Add some water and blend until incorporated. The dough can come up round the paddle and really should feel smooth, not sticky, to touch.
2. Take away the dough in the mixer and appearance to make sure that there aren't any visible bits of butter remaining if required, return the dough towards the mixer and blend again briefly.
3. Pat the dough right into a 7- to eight-inch disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate not less than one hour, but preferably overnight. (The dough could be refrigerated for approximately one day or frozen for approximately 30 days.)
Excerpted from Bouchon Loaves of bread by Thomas Keller Sebastien Rouxel (Artisan Books). 2012. Photographs by Deborah Johnson.