Pâte Brisée (French Shortcrust Pastry - Savoury)

Pâte Brisée (Broken Crust) is the standard French crust. The ingredients are very similar to American flaky pie dough but the incorporation of ingredients are slightly different. With American pastry, we emphasize the "rubbing in" of cold butter into flour which gives us that irregular flaky texture. While the French also mix their butter into flour while it's still cold, they generally rely on the use of a standing mixer. Sometimes going as far as adding an egg yolk (in which case the crust is then referred to as a pâte à foncer). These slight alterations yield a crust with a finer, stronger, crumb, which is much more uniform but lacks the flaky quality of its American counterpart. This crust is well suited to savoury meat pies and quiches.

2½ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
½ tsp sea salt
1 cup butter, cold
⅓ cup water, cold

In a small bowl, mix together the flour and salt.

Using a pastry cutter, large-tined fork, or a food processor on pulse setting, cut the chilled butter into the flour until it resembles coarse sand with a few pea-sized pieces of butter still visible.

Sprinkle the water evenly over the mixture and toss gently a few times, just until it forms a ball that holds together.

Separate the dough into two balls, flatten slightly into thick disc shapes and wrap in plastic wrap.

Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.

Makes 1 double-crust or 2 single-crust 9-10" pies.