One of the questions I get asked a lot is: What is the difference between Tart Dough and Pie Dough?
So to answer that question, I decided to explain it in this blog post and have a convenient place to refer to both the recipes.
In short, the tart dough is more stable because it is meant to hold its shape. To accomplish this, many tart doughs have an egg added for structure purposes.
On the contrary, pie doughs are buttery and flaky. Usually, they are meant to be eaten inside a container because they are likely to break if moved too quickly. The flavor is more buttery and salty than sweet.
Without further ado, I will explain how to make both of these and how to and when to blind-bake them.
Important note: This post contains affiliate links, but it does not affect my opinion of the products. I used all of these and love these products. You can read my full disclosure here.
Ingredients
The two recipes below have similar similarities of ingredients.
- Unsalted Butter. I use Earth Balance unsalted butter sticks. If you can’t find this, you can use salted butter, but don’t add the salt to the recipe.
- Sugar. I use the powdered sugar for the pate sucree to sweeten the tart dough because it won’t be able to dissolve. But the Pate Brisee can use granulated sugar because there is so little of it.
- Flax Egg. This binds the tart dough together and emulsifies the ingredients together. It has a consistency similar to egg whites.
- All-purpose flour. I use all-purpose flour for these recipes, but you can experiment with gluten-free flours if you would like.
Use the Pate Brisee for apple pie, pumpkin pie, key lime pie, lemon meringue pie. Pretty much anything that has pie in the title will use a pie dough.
Use the Pate sucree for any of your tart needs. Add some custard and some fresh fruit to make a refreshing fruit tart. Or try making a creamy dark chocolate tart.
Special Equipment Needed
- Hand mixer. This is not completely necessary, but it does make creaming cold butter easier. It is a handy tool to have at the ready.
- Bench scraper. Also called a pastry scraper. It makes it easier to handle pastry. It can move underneath it in case it sticks to the counter. It can cut the pastry and smooth things down if necessary.
- Parchment paper. This is especially useful when blind baking and also when rolling out soft doughs, like the pate sucree
- Rolling pin. To roll things out the dough to an even thickness and you can also roll the pastry around it to make it easier to place in the pie or tart dish.
- Plastic wrap. For storing the dough when it is chilling. You can also use a container.
- Baking Beans. To weigh the pie down when it is blind baking. If you don’t do this, it tends to puff in the middle. I use dried soybeans, but you can use dried rice, other types of dried beans, sugar, or pie weights if you have them.
How to Blind Bake
Blind Baking is partially or completely cooking a pie or tart shell without any filling inside. You would use this if you do not want to bake your filling, for instance, something like pastry cream. Or if your filling is too wet.
The process behind this is simple. Once your shell is filled with your dough. Put in the freezer for at least 5 minutes. This will stop the dough from shrinking so much.
Cut some parchment paper and lay it on top. Weight it down with baking beans and place it in the oven for the amount needed.
The baking time really depends on how thick your tart is, what you are using it for, and how big the shell is. I look for visual clues. Once the outer rim is a darker brown, I know it is ready. For smaller tarts and pies, this could take from 20-25 minutes. For larger tarts and pies, this could take 25-30 minutes.
Just keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t get too brown. It does firm up as it cools.
I’ll have some sample recipes posted soon to test these recipes on.
Want More?
Try Out Similar recipes below:
- Quick and Easy Vegan Raspberry Cake
- How to Make Vegan Meringue Cookies
- Make your own Homemade Puff Pastry
Pate Sucree (Sweet Tart Dough)
Equipment
- Hand mixer
- Parchment paper
- Food Scale
- Bench Scraper
Materials
- 250 g unsalted non-dairy butter 1 cup
- 200 g powdered sugar 1 1/2 cups
- 3 tbsp flax egg see recipe below
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 500 g All-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a bowl, cream the sugar and butter together.
- Add the flax egg 1 tbsp at a time and mix well until combined. Add the vanilla extract.
- Sift flour in and mix with a rubber spatula until no more dry bits of flour.
- Fraiser (Push the dough together with the bench scraper) until everything is combined.
- Put in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.
- Divide it into two and place one half between two big sheets of parchment paper. Roll to as thin and even as you can (about 1/8 in).
- Drape over the the tart dish and push gently to smooth any cracks and patch any holes. Chill for 20-30 minutes and you are ready to use it.
Pate Brisee (Flaky Pie Dough)
Materials
- 500 g (3 cups + 2 tbsp) All-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp cane sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 300 g (1¼ cups + 2 tbsp) unsalted vegan butter
- 125 g (1/2 cup) cold ice water 1/2 cup
Instructions
- Place all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Whisk together.
- Grate the cold butter (freeze the butter if it is too warm) into the dough. With your fingers, carefully break up the butter into the flour into pea-sized clumps. Make sure the butter doesn't melt.
- Add the water a little at a time until the dough barely holds together. Remember you might not use all the water. Think wet sand.
- Knead lightly and then cover in plastic wrap Let chill for 1-2 hours.
- Place on a lightly floured surface and roll out. Fill your pie dish and then put in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
Notes
If you tried this recipe, let me know in the comments below. I would love to hear from you!
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