Creating a classic tart pastry is a great way to elevate your dessert-making skills. Whether preparing a tart for a special occasion or making a simple pie, mastering a reliable pastry recipe is essential. This particular recipe uses basic ingredients like flour, shortening, and butter to create a flaky crust perfect for tarts or pies. The recipe’s roots are tied to traditional American baking, and the inclusion of Gold Medal Flour speaks to its long-standing role in kitchens across the country. By following these steps, you’ll learn how to make a pastry dough that’s both rich and light, suitable for various sweet or savory fillings.
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Tart Pastry
Food History
Tart dough has a long and storied history in baking. Tarts themselves date back to medieval times when they were filled with both sweet and savory fillings. The buttery, flaky dough we know today, which relies on cold fats to create layers of crisp texture, developed from French and European culinary traditions. The early version of tart dough was simpler, often just flour and fat, but with time, bakers began to perfect it by adding techniques like folding in butter to create more layers.
In this particular recipe, the use of both shortening and butter is significant. Shortening, which became more widely available in the 20th century, was marketed as an affordable and easy-to-use alternative to butter. It helped create a tender texture in pastry while the butter added flavor and flakiness. By combining the two, this recipe achieves the best of both worlds—taste and texture. Gold Medal Flour, a household brand, has been associated with quality since the late 1800s, and it plays a key role in the recipe, ensuring a reliable dough. Pastries like this were commonly made in home kitchens and adapted over generations, becoming a staple in American cuisine, especially during the 1950s and 1960s when homemade pies and tarts were popular for family gatherings and holidays.
Timeline
- Medieval Times: Tarts emerge as a popular dish, with fillings that range from savory meats to sweet fruit.
- 19th Century: Introduction of baking techniques that improved tart dough textures, like folding butter into the dough.
- Early 20th Century: Shortening becomes widely available, offering a cheaper alternative to butter in pastry-making.
- 1950s-1960s: Tarts and pies are common in American households, often prepared for holidays and family meals.
- Present Day: The combination of butter and shortening in tart dough remains a popular method for achieving a flaky yet tender crust.
Recipe Discussion
This tart dough recipe is a classic approach to creating a rich and flaky crust. The combination of flour, shortening, and butter ensures that the dough has a balanced texture. The shortening helps make the crust tender, while the butter adds a slight flakiness and a rich flavor. By moistening the dough with ice water, you help the fat stay cold, which is key to creating those layers that result in a perfectly flaky crust. The dough is rolled out and folded multiple times, which helps in developing layers. Folding the dough is similar to the technique used in making puff pastry or croissants, though this version is less complex.
The high baking temperature (500°F) ensures the butter and shortening melt quickly, creating steam that forms pockets in the dough, making it light. However, after the initial high heat, the oven temperature is reduced to 400°F to ensure the dough bakes through without burning. This method yields a versatile pastry that can be used for sweet or savory tarts, depending on your choice of filling.
Preparation Tips
Here are some useful tips to help you achieve the best results when preparing this tart dough:
- Use Cold Ingredients: The butter, shortening, and even water should be cold to prevent the fat from melting too early. This will ensure a flaky crust.
- Don’t Overwork the Dough: Mix the dough just until it comes together. Overworking it can cause the dough to become tough.
- Rest the Dough: Allow the dough to rest on ice or in the refrigerator for several hours before rolling it out. This helps the gluten relax, making the dough easier to roll and preventing shrinkage during baking.
- Rolling Technique: When rolling out the dough, use light, even pressure to avoid stretching it. Roll it into an oblong shape as specified in the recipe for better folding.
- Folding the Dough: This recipe calls for folding the dough three times to create layers. Be gentle and ensure each fold is well-formed to trap air between the layers.
- Butter Application: When dabbing the dough with butter, make sure it’s spread evenly to ensure even browning and flakiness throughout the pastry.
- Watch the Oven Temperature: The high heat helps with browning and flakiness, but be sure to lower the temperature after the initial burst of heat to avoid overcooking the pastry.
Recommended Kitchen Products
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- Pastry Cutter: A good pastry cutter is essential for cutting in shortening or butter, which is key for achieving a light and flaky texture.
- Rolling Pin: You’ll need a quality rolling pin to evenly roll out the dough. A non-stick pin can make the process easier.
- Pastry Mat: This helps with rolling out dough while minimizing sticking. A mat with measurements is great for ensuring your dough is rolled to the right size.
- Bench Scraper: A bench scraper is perfect for handling dough and folding it. It helps lift sticky dough and ensures precise folds.
Serving Suggestions
Here are some great ideas for what to serve with your homemade tart pastry:
- Fruit Filling: Fresh fruit like apples, peaches, or berries can complement the flaky pastry beautifully.
- Savory Fillings: Turn this tart dough into a savory dish by filling it with a mixture of cheese, herbs, and vegetables.
- Whipped Cream: For a sweet tart, top your tart with a generous dollop of freshly whipped cream for a light and airy touch.
- Ice Cream: A warm tart served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is a classic pairing.
- Herbed Butter: For savory versions, serve with melted herbed butter for a rich, flavorful boost.
A Flaky Pastry for Every Occasion
With this versatile tart pastry recipe, you can explore both sweet and savory dishes, experimenting with various fillings and flavors. The combination of butter and shortening ensures that you get the best of both textures—tender yet flaky. Whether you’re using this recipe for a fruit tart, savory quiche, or classic pie, it will become a go-to in your kitchen for its simplicity and delicious results.
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Tarts Recipe
Tart Pastry
Ingredients
- 2 cups Gold Medal Flour
- ⅔ cup shortening
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp butter
- Ice water
Instructions
- 500°F (initially), reduce heat to 400°F to finish baking when crust begins to brown
- Sift together flour and salt.
- Cut in the two-thirds cup shortening.
- Moisten with enough water to make a stiff dough.
- Toss on floured board, pat, and roll out in oblong shape.
- Dot with one tablespoon butter.
- Fold so as to make three layers.
- Turn half way around.
- Pat and roll out.
- Repeat, using the remaining tablespoon of butter.