This site uses only a few technical cookies necessary for its operation. By continuing to browse, you accept their use.
To find out more...
To find out more...
How to roll out pastry for a tart
Rolling out pastry from a block and lining a tart mould or tin is not as straighforward as all that. To help you to succeed every time, here is a very simple tip. It will to change your opinion of tarts...
304 K 4.0/5 (60 reviews)
25 min.
Easy
2 tarts
1 IngredientLast modified on: October 13th 2010
For 2 tarts, you will need:
600 g 
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 25 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 1 min.
To start with, it is necessary to use pastry:
- Which is not in a ball, but rather flat like a thick pancake.
- In a ball, you will break it rather than spread it with the rolling pin.
- Which is very cold, straight from the fridge if possible.
- If pastry is warm, therefore soft, it will be easy to roll out but will stick to the rolling pin and will be practically impossible to put in the mould.
Stage 2 - 10 min.
Dust working surface and rolling pin generously with flour (don't worry about using too much, the surplus will be removed before baking).
Roll out pastry with the rolling pin, and for that here is the most important knack: you should always roll from the centre out to the edge of the pastry.
Roll out pastry with the rolling pin, and for that here is the most important knack: you should always roll from the centre out to the edge of the pastry.
Stage 3
Never pass the rolling pin over the whole surface of the pastry, you will inevitably made a bump in the middle.
You should work as quickly as possible so that your pastry stays very cold. Flour the top, and/or turn the pastry during this operation.
Roll out to the required thickness (2 or 3 mm usually), or size, depending on your mould (to try, put your mould gently on the pastry, which should be about 2 cm larger all round).
You should work as quickly as possible so that your pastry stays very cold. Flour the top, and/or turn the pastry during this operation.
Roll out to the required thickness (2 or 3 mm usually), or size, depending on your mould (to try, put your mould gently on the pastry, which should be about 2 cm larger all round).
Stage 4 - 3 min.
Once the pastry is rolled out, it is necessary to transfer it to the mould, which is a delicate operation.
For this, the best way is to pass a metal spatula or slice underneath, then wrap it around the rolling pin, and then unroll it over the mould.
You can watch a video demonstration on the right.
For this, the best way is to pass a metal spatula or slice underneath, then wrap it around the rolling pin, and then unroll it over the mould.
You can watch a video demonstration on the right.
Stage 5 - 3 min.
Then, you need to press the pastry into the bottom and sides of the mould, so that it is properly lined, and so that the bottom of pastry when cooked will be nice and solid.
You can watch a video demonstration on the right.
You can watch a video demonstration on the right.
Stage 6 - 3 min.
Once this operation is complete, trim off the surplus pastry with a knife by following round the top of the mould.
Note: With this surplus, you can make small tarts, or if it is a sweetcrust pastry, small biscuits to serve with coffee for instance.
Note: With this surplus, you can make small tarts, or if it is a sweetcrust pastry, small biscuits to serve with coffee for instance.
Stage 7 - 2 min.
Remove any surplus flour with a brush.
Stage 8 - 1 min.
And finally, prick over the bottom of the mould with a fork or a "pique-vite", to avoid the pastry bubbling up during baking.
Put the mould in the fridge for one hour so that pastry firms up before baking, it is then ready for use.
Put the mould in the fridge for one hour so that pastry firms up before baking, it is then ready for use.
Remarks
In the photographs I'm using a tart ring (which is a kind of bottomless mould) rather than a classic mould, I recommend it to you because it's much more practical and easy to remove a tart from the circle than from a mould. You can find all sizes in specialist stores, choose stainless ones.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 530 RDI=210 % | 3,040 RDI=290 % | 2,290 RDI=350 % | 34,880 RDI=1,740 % | 146,030 RDI: 1,740 % |
| Per 100 g | 90 RDI=30 % | 510 RDI=50 % | 380 RDI=60 % | 5,810 RDI=290 % | 24,340 RDI: 290 % |
| Per tart | 270 RDI=100 % | 1,520 RDI=140 % | 1,140 RDI=170 % | 17,440 RDI=870 % | 73,010 RDI: 870 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 2 tarts : 3.10 €
- Per tart : 1.55 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Sweetcrust pastry (pâte sablée)
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Pear tart with almond cream, Bounty-style tart for Alison, Rhubarb-hazelnut tart, Simple maple-syrup tart, Tarte Bourdaloue, ... See them all 43
Other recipes you may also like
Natural leaven
Leaven is a natural raising agent, a fermented mixture of water, flour and the microscopic yeasts which are present in the air. It's a delicate living substance, sensitive to the external environment. The recipe is around 4000 years old and dates back to the Egypt of the Pharaohs, via a beautiful...April 3rd 20201.71 M 304.0 7 days 15 min.
How to grill salmon well
This is not as simple as it might at first appear. A properly grilled piece of salmon should be crisp on the outside and moist on the inside. This soft interior is achieved by very strict timing (cooking fish just right is a sign of a true chef), as undercooked it is unpleasant, and overcooked the...October 13th 2010483 K4.3 25 min.
How to make fleur de sel (salt flakes)
French "fleur de sel" is a salt with a special texture, formed by the action of the wind on salt marshs. The wind dries the surface of the water which has a high salt concentration (this will later become sea salt) producing thin flaky crystals.May 4th 2011245 K 43.9 1 hour 7 min.
How to seal a terrine or casserole dish
The French have a term for it: "luter", which means to seal around the lid of a cooking dish with dough. The dough forms a crust and hermetically seals in all the steam and flavours while the dish is cooking in the oven. This is a good way to concentrate flavours. The dish is brought to the table...January 11th 2017189 K3.7 35 min.
How to make a good pastry tart case
Lining a tin or mould with pastry to make a tart or pie seems simple enough: you roll out the pastry, put it in the tin and trim off any overhanging bits. It may not be rocket science, but if you want a tart with a perfect pastry case, it really helps to take care over a few details, which I will...July 14th 201975 K 45 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-07-13)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe (as 2 people already do)
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.