Pâte sablée

Sablée comes from the French word for sand, which describes the texture of the finished dough. A college baking textbook explains that pâte sablée usually has more fat than pâte brisée and less egg, which is what gives it that fine, sandy, tender crumb.

The creaming method, in which the fat and sugar are beaten together first, is described in the same text as the most common way to make this dough today. Because it is rich and not elastic like bread dough, it is handled gently and kept cool.

Doughs of this type are usually used as a base to be filled, such as tarts made in shallow fluted pans. Pâte sablée forms a short, delicate shell that holds up to cream, fruit, or chocolate fillings. It sits in the same family as other sweet pastry doughs such as sweet shortcrust and sable dough.