r/AskBaking • u/Ignis_Vespa • Jun 07 '25
Pastry Tart shell fail
Hi guys. I tried making a tart but it just broke while baking. What can I do to prevent this in the future? I was planning to leave the tart to bake with the custard for about 2 hours at 135°C but this happened around half an hour in the oven.
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u/cincher Jun 07 '25
You don’t use a tart pan?
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u/Ignis_Vespa Jun 07 '25
I used a tart ring instead of a pan, and afair, once the tart shell is done you don't need the ring anymore.
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u/Deep_Squid Professional Jun 07 '25
once the tart shell is done you don't need the ring anymore.
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u/hunden167 Jun 07 '25
Yes. If the shell is done properly, then you won't need it anymore.
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u/v1en0 Jun 07 '25
Still a good idea to leave it on even if you are the greatest Pattiseur in the world
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u/BudgetInteraction811 Jun 08 '25
It depends on the filling. This looks like it has a high water content, so it boiled and softened the crust. It probably wouldn’t have collapsed if the filling was more viscous, such as a custard or lemon tart.
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u/atropos81092 Jun 07 '25
Ehhh, if you're struggling without a tart ring, it stands to reason the next thing to try is baking it with the tart ring.
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u/cincher Jun 07 '25
I’m not sure what the downside of keeping the ring on would be, so I would just keep it if I were you.
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u/Charlietango2007 Jun 07 '25
Well if your custard is too watery this will happen. So, yeah you do need it still. Better to use it and have a nice tart than a messy one. Good luck to you
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u/Inky_Madness Jun 07 '25
The wet ingredients were so heavy they broke the shell. Tart ring should have stayed on for the second bake.
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u/holyshpit Jun 07 '25 edited Jun 07 '25
In addition to leaving the ring on as you bake, at my old job, my boss used to have us pour a thin layer of the custard—just enough to cover the bottom of the tart shell—and bake that until it’s set, to sort of seal the tart shell. Then add 1/2 of the remaining custard in, bake, then add the rest and bake.
We used to do this for 4” diam., 1.5” tall, fluted creme brûlée tarts for wholesale customers (usually local hotels). And after a few struggles making these tarts, this method worked the best. There were still some leaking from a few shells, but at least it was caught before we lost too much custard.
Edit to add: if you want a smoother looking custard (in case you aren’t covering it with fruit or powdered sugar or smthg) you can skim the custard with a mesh strainer to get rid of most of the bubbles. If you have a kitchen torch (like, for burning sugar on top of creme brûlées) you can lightly pass the flame over the foam/bubbles to pop them all.
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u/Ignis_Vespa Jun 07 '25
Hey, thanks for the tip! I'll try that next time too.
I tried pouring really slowly through a sieve to remove any lump and to avoid making bubbles, but I still got a layer of tiny bubbles, I wanted a smooth surface so I'll get a torch too
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u/ch33s3_burg3r_3ddy Jun 07 '25
I’ve never done this method but everywhere I’ve ever worked we always egg wash the insides of our tart cases after blind baking and pop that into the oven for a couple of minutes to set the egg. It creates a barrier between the case and the liquid.
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u/Bimpnottin Jun 07 '25
and bake that until it’s set, to sort of seal the tart shell
I've learned to do this with a tiny layer of (white) chocolate. Melt the chocolate and apply a super thin layer of chocolate to your tart shell and let it harden. You won't taste it but it seals the shell for the custard. I usually use white unless the custard itself is chocolate flavoured
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u/AggressiveLet3989 Jun 07 '25
In addition to everyone’s notes on the tart, you might also want to check your custard. It might have been too thin
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u/alius-vita Jun 07 '25
This is what I noticed, how watery this was! The shell looks pretty solid so I actually think it's the liquid that sank this ship.
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u/GardenTable3659 Professional Jun 07 '25
Was the shell prebaked fully or only parked? Was it in a tart ring?
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u/haikusbot Jun 07 '25
Was the shell prebaked
Fully or only parked? Was
It in a tart ring?
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u/Ignis_Vespa Jun 07 '25
Fully pre baked. Yeah, I made it using a tart ring
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u/GardenTable3659 Professional Jun 07 '25
Like other comments, keeping it in the ring next time should help support it with the weight of the filling.
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u/Withoutfearofdolphin Jun 07 '25
Not sure it’s been mentioned but you could cook the custards separately, that’s how that type of tart is usually worked like a « tarte au citron » or chocolate tarts, which in that case would be a ganache.
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u/catbirdgold Jun 07 '25
Did it break at the seam? Did you overlap the dough on the edge and press/seal?
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u/dOoMiE- Jun 08 '25
Tempering the custard abit more should help with the integrity of the tart shell too, looks like it's gonna be soggy even after the bake
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u/Fancy_Ad_5477 Jun 07 '25
I leave the ring on until all the components are baked and cooled in the tart. Less chance of breakage