Bake this irresistible Basic Flaky Crumbly Tart Crust - Pate a Sucre at home. Made with butter, Salt, Powdered sugar and Trehalose. Easy step-by-step in…
This Basic Flaky Crumbly Tart Crust - Pate a Sucre relies on simple, everyday ingredients such as salt, grams powdered sugar, grams trehalose and egg yolk. It comes together quickly and makes 4 servings, at about 350 kcal each. The step-by-step instructions below are written to be easy to follow, even on a busy day.
Whether you're rounding off a family dinner, bringing a treat to a gathering, or simply satisfying a sweet craving, this Basic Flaky Crumbly Tart Crust - Pate a Sucre delivers. Serve it warm or at room temperature, and add a scoop of ice cream or a spoonful of whipped cream for an extra-special finish.
Updated Jun 30, 2026
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1
Return the butter and egg to room temperature.
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2
Sift the floury ingredients.
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3
The butter should be soft enough that your finger sinks right into it.
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4
Put the butter and salt in a bowl and cream together.
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5
Hold the whisk vertically and turn it slowly so that you don't incorporate too much air.
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6
Sift in the powdered sugar and trehalose in two batches.
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7
Cream it into the butter in the same way as in Step 2.
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8
Sift in the almond flour and mix in the same way until the combination is pale colored.
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9
Add the egg yolk and mix it in slowly, until the combination is the consistency of cream.
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10
If it looks like this photo, it's good.
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11
Change to a rubber spatula, and sift 1/2 the cake flour into the bowl.
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12
Mix up from the bottom in a cut-and-fold motion.
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While the mixture is still floury, add the rest of the cake flour and fold it in in the same way.
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When the flouriness is gone, fold the dough into one mass.
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15
Be sure not to over-knead the dough.
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You just need to fold it over 2 to 3 times after it's no longer floury.
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Cover tightly in plastic wrap or in a plastic bag.
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18
Form into a round flat ball.
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19
Let it rest in the refrigerator overnight.
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20
Roll the dough out between two sheets of plastic wrap.
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21
If the dough is too cold and hard and you try to forcibly roll it out it may break.
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22
Leave it to soften up a bit before rolling out in that case.
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If the dough is too soft though it is hard to form properly.
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24
Roll the dough out so it's rather larger than the tart pan.
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25
If the dough gets too soft while you are working with it, chill it again in the refrigerator before proceeding.
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26
Peel off the upper plastic wrap, and invert the dough onto the tart pan.
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27
Peel off the other plastic wrap.
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28
Push the dough into the pan while the edges hang over the sides.
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29
Make sure the dough is stuck securely to the bottom.
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30
Press it gently into the sides too.
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31
Make sure the dough is pushed well into the corners too.
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32
Roll the rolling pin over the pan to cut off the excess dough, and press in the sides again.
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33
Use a thick-tined fork to make lots of holes in the bottom of the crust.
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34
To prevent the crust from shrinking while it bakes, chill it at this point in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
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35
If you are using a filling with a lot of moisture, don't make the holes.
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36
To blind bake the crust, press in a piece of kitchen parchment paper and fill with pie weights.
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37
Preheat the oven to 180C, lower to 170C and bake the crust for 30 to 40 minutes.
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38
Please adjust the baking time depending on your own.
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39
Start checking after 30 minutes, and if it's still pale, bake some more.
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40
If it's already golden brown around the edges, it's done.
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41
When you check the crust for doneness, if it's still too pale, try taking the paper and weights out to finish baking.
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42
When the crust is baked, cool it on a rack for a little while before taking the weights out.
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43
Leave to cool in the tart pan.
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44
I forgot to put any weights in this time and added them in a hurry later, but it was too late...the bottom of the crust had already risen up a bit.
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45
Here I baked the crust with the weights in.
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It didn't puff up and the shape is nice and sharp.
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The edges are higher than the sides of the pan too!
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For fresh fruit tarts and other high-moisture fillings, brush the inside of the tart evenly with some beaten egg.
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49
You can use the leftover egg white for this!
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50
Bake the crust after brushing with egg for about 5 minutes in a 140C oven to dry it out.
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51
The egg forms a film that prevents moisture from seeping into the crust!
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52
For half-baked tarts or tarts that are baked without pre-baking the crust, refer to the recipe you are using for the precise temperatures and times.
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53
The dough is subtly sweet and delicious as cookies too, so if you are going to fill the tart with a very sweet filling, you may want to reduce the powdered sugar.
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54
I make cookies with the leftover dough.
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55
When I tried cutting it out with a 3 cm small heart shaped cutter I was able to make quite a lot.
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56
You could give them as a gift with the tart as a bonus.
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57
This recipe works for 18 cm to 20 cm diameter tart crusts.
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58
When I baked a 20 cm diameter crust, I had just enough left over to make 5 cookies like this.
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59
Here's an example of a recipe that uses this tart crust: Raspberry Berry Berry No-bake Cheesecake Tart.
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In small tart tins.
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61
Three-berry Cheesecake Petit Tarts.
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Blind-bake halfway and use it for this.
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63
Cherry Almond Crumble Tart.
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64
Peach Custard Tarts, made in five 9 cm diameter tart tins.
* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.
Tips for the best results
- Read through all the steps once before you start and measure out your ingredients first — it makes everything go more smoothly.
- Preheat the oven fully and bake on the middle rack for the most even results.
- Check for doneness a few minutes early — a toothpick in the center should come out with just a few moist crumbs.
- Let it cool before slicing so it sets properly and holds its shape.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within a few days.
Variations & substitutions
- Use a neutral oil or a plant-based spread in place of butter for a dairy-free version.
- Brown sugar instead of white sugar adds a deeper, more caramel-like flavor.
- Leave out the nuts to make it nut-free, or swap in seeds for a similar crunch.
- A good 1:1 gluten-free flour blend works well if you need a gluten-free version.
No specific allergen information. Please check the ingredient list for possible allergens.
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Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe makes 4 servings. You can adjust the portion size directly on this page.
You need 7 ingredients. The key ingredients include: 75 grams Unsalted cultured butter (or regular unsalted butter), 1 pinch Salt, 45 grams Powdered sugar, 10 grams Trehalose, and more.
Yes, Basic Flaky Crumbly Tart Crust - Pate a Sucre falls under the Baking & Desserts category and is a great choice for this type of meal.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3–5 days. For longer storage, freeze for up to 3 months — no need to refrigerate or reheat.