Shortbread dough, I won’t go into the origins of this preparation. I’m proposing the recipe for a sweet preparation, as I’d like to propose a blueberry tart soon. I’ve already made the shortcrust pastry, and as the recipe is virtually identical, I’ll take this opportunity to use the previous images for a smaller tart, 22 cm in diameter.

Here’s a traditional recipe that’s both simple and effective, especially since it’s easy to prepare once you’ve made the sweet shortcrust pastry. Here’s a recipe for a sweet preparation. For the sake of simplicity, the pâte sablée is a pâte à foncer with a higher sugar content, but the basic recipe is the same.

The recipe is very easy to make if you know one “technical” step, and above all the right proportions of liquid to flour. The right proportions are hard to find on the internet, but after a few tries, I was able to determine the ideal proportions (solid/liquid) to make the dough every time.

Special utensils

• A cul-de-poule, a pastry horn
• A silicone mat

Ingredients for Shortbread dough

Pastry for 22 cm diameter tarts

• 200 g floor (type 55)
• 100 g soft butter
• 60 g caster sugar
• 2 g salt
• 1 whole egg
• Water to adjust liquid weight to 50 g

Preparation (Shortbread dough)

• Mix sugar and salt.
• Pour the sugar and salt mixture into the “cul-de-poule” and add the egg.

• Whisk until the sugar has melted.
• Add butter and mix again.
• Add the flour last and mix with your fingers. This step can be carried out with a food processor and its leaf.

• Once the mixture has a compact appearance, stop mixing.
• Empty onto the work surface and mill once with the palm of your hand.

• Form into a ball, then flatten a little before wrapping and refrigerating.

Tips

• Proporiton for a 22 cm diameter mould: 200 g flour, 100 g butter, 12 g sugar, 60 g egg and 3 g salt.
• It’s used for sweet fillings and shortcrust pastry for savoury fillings. In fact, the only obvious difference is the addition of a little sugar to the dough. This changes the proportions slightly.
• To make shortcrust pastry for savoury preparations, simply remove the sugar and egg and adjust the water to the ingredients.

Original ideas (Antho’s corner)

1. Add flavorings or ingredients to the dough:
   • Lemon zest: Add a little grated lemon zest to the dough to add a fresh, lemony note.