Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes Pie & Tarts Recipes Our Test Kitchen's Favorite Pâte Brisée 4.0 (1) 1 Review Use this pastry dough for all your favorite pies. By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle expert who has taught millions of people through generations the joy of entertaining, cooking, gardening, collecting, crafting, and home renovating via her eponymous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Emmy-winning television shows, and 99 books (and counting). Based in Katonah, N.Y., where she helms her 156-acre Bedford Farm, Martha is America's first self-made female billionaire. Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 16, 2023 Rate PRINT Share Prep Time: 10 mins Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Yield: Enough for one 9-inch double-crust pie, or one 10 1/2-by-15 1/4-inch single-crust slab pie The reason this pâte brisée is our test kitchen’s go-to recipe is it makes the best all-butter pie crust for both sweet and savory pies. It tastes buttery, has a lovely flaky texture, and is easy to make—all you need are all-purpose flour, unsalted butter, salt, and iced water. The hardest thing about this pastry is its name (pronounced paht bree-ZAY). Our version is quick—we use the food processor, which makes it fast and relatively hands off. You’ll have a buttery pie dough in just 10 minutes—but don’t forget to allow at least an hour for the pâte brisée to chill in the refrigerator. It’s important for the pastry dough to rest in a cold atmosphere so the fat will firm up and the gluten relax. It will be much easier to roll out for your favorite pies and quiches if it has chilled properly. Our 25 Favorite Pie Recipes of All Time Julia Gartland What to Use Pâte Brisée For Pâte brisée is a versatile dough, use it for quiche and savory pies as well as hand pies, slab pies, and dessert pies. It can be used in any recipe, that calls for an unsweetened pastry such as: Broccoli-Cheddar Quiche Irish Beef Hand Pies Bacon-Cheese Quiche Cinnamon-Swirl Apple Slab Pie Poached Pear and Cranberry Pie Pumpkin Pie Peach Custard Pie Be sure to use cold, not frozen, butter when making pâte brisée. Frozen butter won't incorporate as easily, and you'll end up having to use more water than is ideal. Ingredients 2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt 1 tablespoon sugar 2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 7 to 8 tablespoons ice water Directions Pulse dry ingredients: Pulse flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor until combined. Add butter and pulse: Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-size pieces remaining. Add water then pulse: Drizzle 5 tablespoons water over mixture; pulse several times to combine. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until mixture holds together when pinched. To avoid creating water pockets in your pâte brisée (which will wreak havoc on your dough), be sure to strain the ice out of the water before drizzling it in and processing. Shape dough: For a 9-inch pie, shape dough into two disks and wrap each in plastic. For a slab pie, shape dough into a rectangle and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 1 day before using. Julia Gartland Storing Chill pâte brisée for a minimum of one hour before using. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one day before using. Freezing Pâte brisée can be made ahead and frozen for up to three months; thaw overnight in refrigerator. Frequently Asked Questions What is the difference between pâte brisée and pie crust? Pâte brisée and pie crust are both used for sweet and savory recipes. Pie crust can be made with various fats such as butter or vegetable shortening, but pâte brisée is always made with butter. Also, pâte brisée uses a higher ratio of butter to flour than an average pie crust. Another difference is that some pie crust recipes include sugar. Pâte brisée does not. How is pâte brisée made? Pâte brisée dough is made by combining sugar, flour, salt, then adding cubes of butter, and finally just enough ice-cold water to bring the dough together. We use a food processor for our pâte brisée, but many recipes call for the ingredients to be mixed by hand or using a pastry blender. What is the difference between pâte brisée and pâte sucrée? Pâte brisée is an unsweetened shortcrust dough, whereas pâte sucrée has sugar added and is only used for dessert recipes. Some pâte sucrée recipes have a greater ratio of butter than used for pâte brisée, and some include egg yolk which produces a much richer dough. Other Pastry Recipes to Try: Perfect Pie Crust Basic Pastry Dough Flaky Pie Dough Easy Pate Sucrée Pate Sablée Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, November 2016 Rate It PRINT Updated by Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the Martha Stewart recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years.