Pâte brisée is the basic pie dough that the MSBH uses for many of its pie recipes. It’s easy enough, but I have to admit that I’ve never enjoyed making pie dough. I love making pies (and eating them), however, so I’ve always been a big fan of the pre-made pie crusts you buy at the store. I’ve use many a Marie Callandar’s pre-made pie crust for the recipes I’ve made from MSBH in the past, and it’s always worked perfectly.
But I want to get better at baking pies from start to finish and this blog endeavor seems to be as good an opportunity as ever for me to get some practice. So I am going to make every crust from scratch for the recipes featured here and we’ll see if at the end I can finally master it.
So, pâte brisée begins in the food processor.
…and eventually you end up with the dough. The MSBH recipe makes enough dough for a top and bottom crust.
Form each hunk of dough into a disc, wrap, and chill.
Some people can take a disc of pie dough and roll it out into a perfectly uniform, circular piece of dough that is exactly the size and thickness desired. I am not one of those people.
I do love this recipe. In the past I’ve used Rose Levy Beranbaum’s flaky pie dough recipe using cream cheese. That’s a pretty phenomenal recipe too. I’ve still got some work do in mastering the crust embellishment.
I’ve used Beranbaum’s “The Cake Bible” for years. I’ve always wanted to buy “The Pie and Pastry Bible.” Do you like it in general? How about MSBH?
I’ve always used the pâte brisée and pâte sucrée recipes from Gourmet’s Best Desserts (an older book).
I used to make a lot of pies and have used various pie crust recipes, but I’ve never been great at making them. I think that you know my ex-husband, Steve. That man knows how to make a great pie crust! He can roll the dough out in a circle and everything! He always uses the same recipe, an oil based one, and it always turns out great. (I have also used that recipe and my crusts are never as good as his!)
Let me know how your pâte brisée crust turned out after baking. I think your edges look quite professional, myself!
Maybe I need to follow this blog?!
Jan L
I LOVE the Pie and Pastry Bible. I’ve never had a recipe fail from that book. If you ever want to borrow it, Jan, just let me know.
My mom is one of those who can roll out a perfect pie crust too. Whatever talent it is that allows her to do that must skip a generation. Funny thing – I can roll out perfect rectangles and squares. Just not circles.
The crust turned out great! I used it for Coconut Cream pie (that recipe will post tomorrow, I think).
And YES! Follow this blog!
[...] pie is made using half (one disc) of the MSBH recipe for pâte brisée. It’s blind baked and then you coat the crust with melted semi-sweet chocolate. The chocolate [...]
[...] prior to assembling the tarte which really moves things along. In fact, if you have a disc of pâte brisée hanging out in your freezer and you want some comfort food in not a lot of time, you need only to [...]
[...] half of the recipe for pâte brisée is rolled out and formed into the ring, which sits on a parchment-lined baking sheet. The dough [...]
[...] pie crust. In the MSBH, the pâte brisée crust is adorned with little triangle cutouts around the rim. I do not have a triangle-shaped [...]
[...] and desserts. This recipe is delicious, fairly easy, and quick too if you already have some pâte brisée made [...]
[...] crust is just the simple pâte brisée. It’s then brushed with an egg wash, sprinkled with sugar, and vented with some small [...]
[...] This recipe for a cornmeal pie crust is nearly identical to the MSBH’s recipe for regular Pâte Brisée except for the addition of some cornmeal and sugar. But otherwise, the [...]
[...] like the Pâte brisée, this tart dough is chilled in the form of a disc and then rolled out into a circle. (You can see [...]
[...] recipe calls for a recipe of pâte brisée to be formed in a tart [...]
[...] Essentially, whole milk is used in lieu of coconut milk and banana slices line the bottom of the pâte brisée rather than chocolate. And of course, banana slices top the whipped cream rather than coconut [...]
WOW! You are the Martha Stewart protege of Julie and Julia. Coming soon to theatres everywhere–Amber and Martha!!
Ha! Thanks!