A sweet pastry dough, also known as pate sucree, is a rich and sweet pastry with a crisp cookie-like texture. It works beautifully for decorative crust work as it maintains its shape well while baking.
Place sugar, butter and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Mix on medium speed until butter is light and fluffy scraping sides of bowl as needed.
Add flour to mixing bowl and mix on low speed for 10 seconds.
Scrape down side of bowl.
Mix an additional 10 seconds.
Add egg yolks to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed for 10 seconds.
Scrape down side of bowl.
Mix an additional 10 seconds.
Remove dough from mixer and place on plastic wrap. Gently knead dough to work in any dry pieces. Wrap dough well with plastic wrap.
Place in refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Roll dough on generously floured surface.
Notes
This dough will last up to a week in the refrigerator if wrapped in plastic wrap. Alternatively, wrap the dough and freeze for up to 2 months.
The dough will be difficult to roll out if it is too cold. You will know this if the dough cracks while rolling out. If so, simply let the dough rest at room temperature until it has softened sufficiently.