How to Make Sablé Dough for Tarts
Sablé dough is the foundation of almost every tart we make. It's buttery and short with a slight crumble, and when baked it holds its shape without becoming hard or tough. Getting it right makes everything built on top of it taste better.
The key is not to overwork it once the eggs go in.
Ingredients
Butter, diced: 720g
Flour: 1440g
Icing sugar: 560g
Almond meal: 200g
Large eggs: 6
Salt: a pinch
Method
Combine the flour, icing sugar, almond meal and salt in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer. Mix briefly to combine.
Add the diced butter and blend using a paddle attachment on low speed until the mixture resembles fine, even crumbs. You're looking for the butter to be fully incorporated without the mix coming together yet.
Add the eggs and mix until just combined. Stop the moment the dough holds together. Any more and you'll activate the gluten and the texture will become tough.
Wrap in plastic and rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This step is essential, it relaxes the gluten and makes the dough much easier to roll and line into the tart shell.
Roll to your desired thickness and line your tart tin. Bake according to your recipe.
This is our shop batch. Divide by 4–6 for home use. Sablé dough also freezes well, worth keeping a batch on hand.
Pavel
