Pâte Brisée and Pâte Sucrée

The two most basic types of classic pastry dough are pâte brisée, which is used for all manner of tarts (both savory and sweet), and its sister, pâte sucrée, which, because it contains a substantial amount of sugar, is used solely with sweets. As with all pastry doughs, making either one of these doughs successfully requires the use of specified ingredients, the exact measurement of those ingredients, and careful adherence to the procedure outlined in the recipe. Always follow the directions given with each pastry recipe; never improvise or substitute ingredients until you have completely mastered the recipe.