Pâte brisée

Pâte brisée is a variation on a traditional short-crust pastry dough. It is used as a base for various savory and sweet dishes. It is sometimes confused with a traditional flaky pie crust, which has similar ingredients, but the pâte brisée is considered superior for use with wet fillings such as custards. It is an unsweetened pastry typically used in savory dishes, though sweet dishes are known.

The name "pâte brisée" translates to "broken pastry" in English, which refers to the crumbly or mealy texture of the dough.

History and cultural significance
Pâte brisée is, according to the French-American Cultural Foundation, a classic of French pastry.

The pastry has a long and storied history in French cuisine, dating back to the Middle Ages. The concept of using flour and fat to create a pastry dough can be traced back to ancient civilizations, but it was the French who refined and popularized the technique. The recipe for pâte brisée is believed to have evolved from a medieval pastry called "coffin" or "coffyn," which was a sturdy, vessel-like pastry used to encase and cook various fillings.

Over the centuries, French bakers and pastry chefs perfected the art of creating delicate, crumbly pastry dough, which eventually led to the creation of pâte brisée as we know it today. This versatile dough quickly became a staple in French kitchens and bakeries, forming the basis for a wide range of both sweet and savory dishes.

Pâte brisée has become an essential element of French culinary heritage, with regional variations and adaptations passed down through generations of bakers. It has also gained popularity worldwide, with pastry enthusiasts and professional chefs embracing the buttery, tender texture and the endless possibilities it offers for creative culinary creations.

Influence on global cuisine
As French cuisine and baking techniques spread globally, so did the influence of pâte brisée. Different cultures have adopted and adapted the dough to suit their own culinary traditions. In Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines, variations of pâte brisée can be found in savory pastries like Turkish borek and Greek spanakopita, showcasing its international appeal.

Ingredients, preparation and variations
The traditional recipe for pâte brisée consists of wheat flour, cold or softened butter, salt, and icewater. Depending on the application, additional ingredients may be called for, such as lemon juice or vanilla. According to the Traite de Patisserie Moderne it should not include sugar.

The dough is prepared by combining dry ingredients, incorporating the butter, and gradually adding the icewater until the dough just comes together, avoiding overworking. The finished dough is refrigerated before being rolled out, both to make rolling easier and to help prevent shrinkage during baking.

If sugar is added, the dough is instead called pâte sucrée. If egg is added (mixed in with the water), it is called pâte à foncer.

Usage
For use with wet fillings such as custards, pâte brisée is considered superior to traditional flaky pie dough, which is created by cutting cold butter into the flour and adding icewater. Because softened rather than cold butter is worked into the flour, in pâte brisée the fat particles are evenly distributed in the dough. This forms a less-porous barrier of fat than in flaky pie doughs, which helps prevent the crust from becoming soggy when a wet filling is added. The finished crust is both flaky and sturdy, which means it is appropriate for most fillings.

Common savory applications include quiches.