Pâte brisée is more delicate, crumbly and lighter than tart pie dough.
It will keep perfectly in an airtight container in the fridge for a week or up to 3 months in the freezer.
This recipe will make about 450g (1Ib) of dough.
Michel is a purist who believes in mixing dough by hand…so put away your mixers and food processors. I tried it by hand and I’m really liking it!
It can be used to make Croustades of seasonal vegetables, Cherry tomato tart, Seafood tarts, Cornish pasties, Ricotta tart with pistachios and honey, Cherry clafoutis, Baked apples on a pastry cage, Lemon meringue pie, Boudin noir and apple tart and Belgian endive and roquefort flamiche.
Heap the flour onto the counter and make a well in the centre. Put the butter, salt, sugar and egg into the well. Using your fingertips, mix and cream ingredients in the well, together.
Little by little, draw in the flour, working the dough delicately until it has a grainy texture. Sprinkle the milk over the mixture and incorporate gently with your fingertips
until the dough begins to hold together.
Using the palm of your hand, work the dough by pushing it away from your 4 or 5 times until smooth.
Shape the dough into a disk and wrap with cling film. Chill in the fridge at least 30 minutes before use. (My dough weighed 480g).
Michel Roux's Pâte brisée
Makes about 450g (1Ib)
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 150g (5.3 oz, 1⅓ stick) butter, cubed and slightly softened
- 1 teaspoon (6g) fine salt
- Pinch superfine sugar
- 1 medium egg (50g, 1.7oz)
- 1 tablespoon ice cold milk
Instructions
- Heap the flour onto the counter and make a well in the centre. Put the butter, salt, sugar and egg into the well. Using your fingertips, mix and cream these ingredients together.
- Little by little, draw in the flour, working the dough delicately until it has a grainy texture.
- Sprinkle the milk over the mixture and incorporate gently with your fingertips until the dough begins to hold together.
- Using the palm of your hand, work the dough by pushing it away from your 4 or 5 times until smooth. Shape the dough into a disk and wrap with cling film. Chill in the fridge at least 30 minutes before use. (My dough weighed 480g).
- Pâte brisèe will keep perfectly in an airtight container in the fridge for a week and upto 3 months in the freezer.
- For cup measures: spoon the flour into the cup, heaping it up over the top, then slide a knife across the top to level off the extra. Be careful not to shake or tap the cup to settle down the flour or you will have more than you need. I use a 240ml, American cup.
- Last updated: September 24, 2020
myfavouritepatime.com
Egg Sizes Minimum weight per egg
Jumbo 70g (2.5oz)
Extra Large 63-69g (2.2oz)
Large 56-62g (2 oz)
Medium 49-55g (1.7oz)
Own Notes
For 1½ times the recipe, I added the following: 375g flour; 225g butter, 1½ teaspoons salt, good pinch of sugar, 68g of beaten egg and 1½ tablespoons cold milk. The dough weighed exactly 699g. (November 25, 2018)
myfavouritepastime.com [/recipe]
My Favourite Pastime 
Dear Mlle Liz,
I enjoy your website and posts. Excellently done. Bravo.
After a very long hiatus I’ve started making pies again. My pâte brisée is acceptable for a home cook. Practice makes perfect. However I’ve gained 5 kg since I’m nursing a hand injury and cannot do my swimming. That will change.
Q: The pâte brisée recipes from JC and J Pépin do not use egg. How does this recipe differ from a pâte à foncer?
Thank you and keep them coming! Do you have any plans to publish a strudel recipe?
Sincerely,
Jack M.
Pâte brisée is more delicate, crumbly and lighter than tart pie dough because it has a higher butter content and less liquid. It’s easy to cut through. The tart pie dough (pâte à foncer?) has less butter content so it is crisp and more or less durable. It’s difficult to cut through, more or less bordering on hard. I don’t know how much butter is in J Pépin or JC. The amount of butter makes a big difference because both recipes here have egg.
I hope this answers your question? Thanks and stay safe…
Liz