Rustic Sweet Tart Dough
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
A reworked sweet dough for tart bases, swapping key ingredients for a unique flavor and texture. Uses spelt flour instead of all-purpose, coconut sugar in place of white. Butter swapped for cold ghee, eggs replaced with an egg yolk plus a splash of cream. Incorporates a pinch of cornstarch to tighten the crumb. Chopped freeze-dried strawberries added for subtle tartness and spots of color once baked. Prep plus chilling time roughly 25 minutes. Yields one 9-inch tart shell. Ideal for rustic fruit tarts or creamy filling bases.
Prep:
15 min
Cook:
10 min
Total:
25 min
Servings:
1 tart shell 23-25 cm
#tart
#pastry
#spelt flour
#ghee
#freeze-dried fruit
#blind baking
#rustic baking
#low hydration dough
Think pâte sucrée but different. Spelt flour swapped in, less refined, richer texture. Coconut sugar tints dough faintly caramel – not overpowering but interesting under fruit layers. Ghee instead of butter for nuttier depth, subtle aroma as dough chills. Egg yolk plus splash cream replaces whole egg, keeps dough tender without sticky over-hydration. Freeze-dried strawberries fold in, dry flakes that roast gently, offering speckles of tart surprise inside the crumb. Tried this after many flaky disasters, learned to respect dough temperature and texture over strict timings. Chill is everything—fails mean warm dough and dark crust. Rolling with parchment keeps fragile dough intact, no fuss with floured boards hiding little tears. Blind-bake just enough; crust needs to hold up under juicy fillings without sogginess but avoid over-browning. A simple base that holds flavors firmly yet softens at the chew. Saves well, doubles easily for bigger tarts.
Ingredients
- 105 g spelt flour
- 30 g coconut sugar
- 1 ml (1/4 tsp) cornstarch
- 85 g cold ghee, diced
- 1 egg yolk
- 15 ml heavy cream
- 15 g freeze-dried chopped strawberries
About the ingredients
Substitutions here matter. Spelt flour gives whole-grain character but less elasticity—handle gently. Whole wheat could be swapped but expect denser result. Coconut sugar moister than refined white—if swapping back to caster sugar, reduce flour fraction slightly to avoid dry dough. Cornstarch added to bring some crispness, tighten crumb—omit if unavailable but expect softer texture. Ghee’s nuttier profile changes aroma and melts differently; unsalted cold butter works but tweak salt in filling. Egg yolk plus cream replace whole egg, reducing hydration for crumbly effect while maintaining richness. Freeze-dried strawberries are optional but provide bursts of acid and visual interest; dry add-ins work best, avoid fresh for moisture balance. Chill dough twice if needed—before and after shaping—critical for workable texture and avoiding shrinkage during blind baking. Keep everything cold, especially fats and tools. Over-mixing gluten develops toughness, so think minimal manipulation, quick pulse, then hands off.
Method
Preparation
- First, chunk up the ghee—cold, from the fridge, never soft. Mix the spelt flour, coconut sugar, and cornstarch in a bowl or food processor. Pulse briefly, grit forming but not powdery.
- Add ghee and blitz until mixture looks sandy but with small pea-size lumps still visible. Over-processing turns gluten tough; watch that texture.
- Stir in freeze-dried strawberries, dry, crumbly bits sticking like tiny crystals. Gives subtle fruity pockets when baked, no extra moisture.
- Whisk egg yolk and cream until blended, slightly thickened but pourable.
- Drizzle into flour mix while mixing with spatula or pulse briefly to combine. Dough should just start clumping, shaggy but forming a rough ball. Avoid overworking—too much warmth from your hands softens fats, toughening dough.
- Scoop onto parchment, press into a disk, wrap, rest in fridge 10-15 minutes. Chill firms fats, prevents shrinkage when baking.
Rolling and Shaping
- Take dough out, dust counter with flour sparingly. Spelt dough fragile, prone to break when cold. Warm slightly in hands but keep cool.
- Roll out between two sheets of parchment to 3mm thickness, about 9-10 inches diameter. Remove top paper, invert over tart pan, gently press dough into crevices. Trim edges with a sharp paring knife. Prick base liberally with fork to vent steam during blind baking.
Blind Baking
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line shell with foil, fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 8-10 minutes until edges pale golden, base set but not colored. Remove weights, bake 2-3 more minutes until bottom feels firm and dry to the touch.
- Cool before adding filling to avoid soggy bottom.
Notes
- Freeze-dried strawberries optional; add chopped crystallized ginger or dried lemon zest for other twists. Ghee gives nuttier vibe than butter; if unavailable, cold unsalted butter usable but reduce salt in filling. Coconut sugar darker and moist—watch dough texture, may require a sprinkle of additional flour.
- Avoid over-blending; dough can get tough quickly when overworked or warmed. Patience chilling, watching texture more useful than exact numbers.
Cooking tips
Processing dry ingredients first forms the base grit, necessary for flaky crumb. Blending in fat cold prevents it melting prematurely—hot hands tend to screw the texture. Freeze-dried fruit or zest folded in last, avoiding moisture that softens dough. Egg yolk and cream mix works better than whole egg for control, adds silkiness. Chill dough at least 10 minutes before rolling; dough should be firm but pliable enough to roll without cracking. Use parchment both sides for rolling—classic trick prevents sticking and tearing, esp. with spelt’s fragile nature. Docking vents steam during blind bake, prevents bubbles. Fill foil and weights tightly—don’t let dough puff under pressure. Mid-blind bake, check edges; pale golden signals ready for weights off. A touch more cooking post-weight-removed sets base but avoid deep brown, which means dryness later. Let shell cool completely before filling: warm pastry ruins fillings, moisture migrates and turns crust soggy. Reheating dough too often dries it out, so minimal handling preferred. If dough cracks, press gently or patch lightly with raw dough—don’t knead. Efficiency: pulse in food processor, rest, quick roll, blind bake while prepping filling. Expect slight variations—trust feel, sight, smell over stopwatch. Dough that smells rich but not fatty signals good butter/ghee distribution.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Chunk ghee cold, straight from fridge. Never soften or melt ahead. Cold fat flakes stay distinct in dough giving flaky edges, not greasy paste. Pulse mix dry ingredients first—spelt flour and coconut sugar combined with cornstarch form gritty base, not powdery. Keep pulses short; overprocessing kills crumb texture.
- 💡 Freeze dried strawberries fold in last, dry flakes no moisture added. They toast in oven, add bursts of acid and visual contrast inside crumb. No fresh berries here or dough gets soggy, loses structure. This subtle tartness cuts sweetness but watch quantity—too many bits break dough balls.
- 💡 Chill dough at least 10 minutes before rolling; fats firm up, making dough less sticky, easier to handle. Roll between parchment sheets, no flour board needed. Spelt flour fragile when cold so warming dough slightly in hands necessary but avoid too warm—fats soften fast, dough toughens if overworked.
- 💡 Dock base heavily with fork before blind baking; vents steam, stops bubbles bloating crust. Use foil snugly, tight pie weights or dried beans. Halfway through blind bake, check edges for pale golden. Remove weights then bake extra few minutes sets crumb without overbrowning base—avoid dryness traps moisture and prevents soggy bottoms.
- 💡 Skip kneading dough if cracks appear; patch gently with raw bits pressed lightly into breaks. Overworking warms fats and toughens gluten in spelt flour. Minimal handling best—pulse dry, blitz fats in cold, stir in liquids quickly. Chill twice if needed before baking to keep shape and crumb tight.
Common questions
Can I swap spelt flour for all-purpose?
Yes but expect denser crust. Spelt less gluten, more fragile. Handle dough gentler, maybe less hydration if using wheat. Texture less rustic, crumb shifts. Adjust flour if coconut sugar replaced by white caster to avoid dry dough.
What if dough cracks during rolling?
Patch lightly with small bits of raw dough pressed in. Avoid kneading or rewarmed hands. Chill dough more. Dough needs pliable but firm feel. Warm hands soften fats too much, dough tears more. Rest longer before retry rolling.
How to store dough leftovers?
Wrap tight, fridge up to 2 days fine. Freeze wrapped well, thaw overnight in fridge before use. Roll chilled dough, not room temp after freezing to keep shape. Repeated thawing dries dough fast. Bake blind bake shell same day for best texture.
Tips for blind baking without weights?
Use flattened dried beans or clean rice in foil pouch. Weights keep dough flat, prevent puffing. Without them, dock extra and bake longer on lower rack to dry crust. Watch edges closely. Slight rise OK, but heavy bubbles cause breaks and bubbles inside crust.
