Ridiculously Easy Press-In Tart Crust (for Sweet or Savory Tarts)
Ingredients
For a sweet crust:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon water if needed
For a savory crust:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoons sugar
- ¾ teaspoon teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
For the prep for both sweet or savory crusts:
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 or 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom generously with non-stick baking spray. Line the pan with a round of parchment paper. Set aside.
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Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper (for easily clean-up). Set aside.
For the dough for both sweet or savory crusts:
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Combine the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, and salt) in a medium-large size bowl and stir to combine. Make a well in the center and set aside.
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Place the butter in a microwave-safe, medium-size bowl. Cover with a slightly damp paper towel. Cook on high power for 1 minute or until melted. (if you don’t have a microwave you can melt the butter on the stovetop in a small saucepan.)
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Pour the butter into the well, making sure to scrape the bowl to include all of the butter. Add the 1 tablespoon of water and stir until the dry ingredients are incorporated and the dough comes together and/or forms large crumbles. If the dough seems dry, you can add a tiny bit of extra water.
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While the dough is still warm crumble two thirds of it around the edges of the prepared tart pan. Press it evenly around the sides and out onto the outer edges of the bottom of the pan.The sides should be a little thicker than the bottom for structural support.
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Crumble the remaining dough into the open space in the pan. Press it in firmly with your fingers and the palm of your hand until the tart pan is completely lined with dough. If the dough seems sticky, you can dust your fingers with a small amount of flour.
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Use a straight-sided, round measuring cup or a flat bottom glass to smooth out the edges and further compact the dough in the bottom of the pan. Dip the cup or glass in flour if there is any problem with stickiness.
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Prick the dough all over the bottom with a fork to prevent puffing.
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Place the tart pan on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the sheet pan (and tart pan) from the oven. Using the same measuring cup or flat bottom glass, gently press the edges again (if they have shrunk down a bit, you can press them back to be even with the top of the pan) and smooth out the bottom if there are any bumpy places.
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For a crust that will have a baked filling, return it to the oven and bake until the crust is pale golden brown, another 5-7 minutes. (Allow the crust to cool for at least 10 minutes before filling and returning to the oven.)
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If using a no-bake filling for your tart, return to the oven and bake until it's a medium golden brown, about 12-17 minutes longer. Set aside to cool completely before filling.
Recipe Notes
See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.
If you prefer to use Metric measurements there is a button in each of our recipes, right above the word “Instructions”. Just click that button to toggle to grams, milliliters, etc. If you ever come across one of our recipes that doesn’t have the Metric conversion (some of the older recipes may not), feel free to leave a comment and I will add it.
If you use a 10-inch tart pan, the side and bottom crusts will be a bit thinner.
(This recipe has been amended on 12/28/23. I reduced the butter from 9 tablespoons down to 8.)