The Great British Baking Show - Custard Tarts

[Lizziezil]

I binge watched the Masterclass series and just made Paul's custard tarts. He made rolling out the
chilled dough look easy. My experience not so. I measured, mixed and chilled the crust ingredients exactly as the recipe read. When I rolled out the dough on a floured surface it stuck to everything. I scooped it up, chilled it again and still it stuck to both my surface and rolling pin. Back in the fridge it went. I then rolled it out, cut out one tart circle and after scraping it off the surface pressed it into the muffin tin. I repeated this with the remaining 11. After filing and baking and cooling and removing from the tin (two broke) the tarts look like they were smashed in a box.

What did I do wrong? Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

I binge watched the Masterclass series and just made Paul's custard tarts. He made rolling out the
chilled dough look easy. My experience not so. I measured, mixed and chilled the crust ingredients exactly as the recipe read. When I rolled out the dough on a floured surface it stuck to everything. I scooped it up, chilled it again and still it stuck to both my surface and rolling pin. Back in the fridge it went. I then rolled it out, cut out one tart circle and after scraping it off the surface pressed it into the muffin tin. I repeated this with the remaining 11. After filing and baking and cooling and removing from the tin (two broke) the tarts look like they were smashed in a box.

What did I do wrong? Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Im not a fan of Paul Hollywood's recipes. I have one of his cookbooks, but I wouldn't rank him up there with the great pastry chefs.

Adapted from Pierre Herme, but a few adjustments and a lot more instructions. Herme thinks everyone graduated from culinary art school, so he doesn't give much in the way of instructions.

You can use a mixer with paddle attachment or food processor with a dough blade. I use a mixer. If you do not have either, you can use a fork to mix,


Pâte Sucrée

150g unsalted butter, cubed, 20°C/68°

100g icing sugar

25g almond powder

1g vanilla extract

55g egg

250g plain flour

3g (1/2 tsp) salt


Slightly beat egg and vanilla, set aside


With paddle attachment (dough blade food processor) whip the butter for about 30 seconds to fluff it up


Sift powdered sugar into butter, mix until just combined


Mix almond flour in butter mixture until just combined


With mixer on lowest setting, add in the egg slowly, mix until well combined


Sift flour into butter mixture and mix until flour is just incorporated


Turn out onto counter


Divide into two equal portions

Form two balls, gently pat down into a disk


Wrap in plastic cling wrap


Chill 4 hours

To roll, I like to cover the counter with plastic wrap, then lightly flour it. Then lightly flour both sides of the dough and the rolling pin.

Applying light even pressure, roll from the center out to the edge. Turn the dough 1/4 turn. From the center, roll out to the edge. Lightly flour the rolling pin and top of the dough if needed. Turn the dough 1/4 turn. Repeat until dough is at desired thickness and size.

It's important that you use even light pressure and roll from the center out. The reason being is you want the dough to be an even thickness. If you roll indiscriminately and with heavy pressure the dough will be thick in the middle and thin on the edges. Also heavy pressure will make the dough stick to the counter and rolling pin.

 

[Lizziezil]

Thank you so much for the recipe and tips. I think using ground almonds may have tripped me up.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Thank you so much for the recipe and tips. I think using ground almonds may have tripped me up.

Yes, it's very important that the almonds be blanched and very finely ground. In the US, I only use one brand, Mandelin, because they grind it to a near powder fineness.

 

[ChesterV]

Yes.......if you are using any nut or seed flours for making pastries, they have to be ground as fine as possible in order to get that nice pastry effect.

If you have a food processor, you might try processing a couple of cups of almond flour for about 5 minutes before using it. I would also sift it three times before using it to get any large particles out and to get as much air in between the particles as you can. It isn't the same as fine grinding, but it can help.