I've tried every kind of quiche/pie/tart dough you can think of. I've done them with butter, oil, crisco, and vinegar. I've tried different mixing techniques. This is by far the best and it is also the easiest. Thank you, Pierre Herme.
makes 15- 4” tarts or 3 -10” tarts
95 ml milk, room temperature
1 large yolk, at room temperature
Put the butter in the bowl of a mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed until creamy. Add the milk, yolk, sugar, and salt and beat until the mixture is roughly blended. (At this point, the mixture will look curdled, but that’s okay) With the mixer still on low, add the flour in three or four additions (add it steadily- there’s no need to wait for the flour be incorporated thoroughly after each addition) and mix just until the ingredients come together to form a soft, moist dough that doesn’t clean the sides of the bowl completely but does hold together. Don’t overdo it.
No matter the method you used to make the dough, gather it into a ball and divide it into three or four, more if making mini tarts. Gently press each piece into a disk and wrap each with plastic. Allow the dough to rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours or for up to 2 days before rolling and baking.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough between 1/16 and 1/8 inch thick, lifting the flour often and making certain that the work surface and the dough are amply floured at all times. Roll the dough up and around your rolling pin and unroll it onto the tart ring. Fit the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the ring or tart mold. Cut off excess dough. Be careful not stretch the dough; those parts will cook faster and shrink in the oven. Prick the dough all over with the tines of a fork (unless the tart will be filled with a runny custard or other loose filling) and chill it for a t least 30 minutes in the refrigerator or freezer.
When you are ready to bake the crust(s), preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Fit a circle of parchment paper or foil into each crust (cut the paper or foil large enough to extend above the top of the tart) and fill with dried bean, rice or pie weights. Place the ready-to-bake shells on an air-insulated pan so that the bottoms won’t crisp up too quickly. To partially bake the crust(s), bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until lightly colored. If crust needs to be fully baked, remove parchment and beans and bake for another 5 to minutes, or until golden. Transfer the crust(s) to a rack to cool.
