Tart pan
A tart pan is a shallow pan with fluted sides and a removable base, so tarts and quiches lift out whole. Here is how to line it and bake in it.
Also called Tart tin, Flan tin, Quiche pan.
A tart pan is a shallow metal pan, usually 2 to 3 cm (about 1 in) deep, with straight, fluted sides and a base that lifts out. You line it with pastry, bake, and then push the base up so the tart comes out whole with neat, ridged edges. It is used for fruit tarts, custard tarts and quiche. In the UK it is called a tart tin or flan tin. The most common sizes are 23 cm (9 in) and 25 cm (10 in).
How to do it
- Roll chilled shortcrust pastry to about 3 mm (1/8 in), a few centimeters wider than the pan.
- Roll it loosely around the rolling pin and unroll it over the pan.
- Lift the edges and ease the pastry down into the corners. Do not stretch it, or it will shrink in the oven.
- Press it into the flutes with a small ball of spare dough.
- Roll the pin over the top to cut off the extra, or trim with a knife, leaving a little above the rim to allow for shrinking.
- Dock the base with a fork and chill for 30 minutes.
- Blind bake for wet fillings: line with parchment, fill with baking beans, bake at about 190°C (375°F) for 15 to 20 minutes, then remove the beans and bake until dry and lightly golden.
To unmold, let the tart cool a little, set the pan on a can or a jar, and let the ring drop down. Slide a knife between the base and the crust to move it to a plate.
Substitutes
A pie dish works for most fillings, though the sides are deeper and sloped, so use more filling and bake longer. A springform pan with the pastry pressed partway up the side works for a deep tart.
Common mistakes
- Picking the pan up by the sides. The base pushes up and the tart can fall out. Always lift it from underneath, or set it on a sheet pan.
- Stretching the pastry to fit. It shrinks back during baking.
- Skipping the blind bake for custard or quiche. The base stays soggy.
- Using a pan with a loose base for a very runny filling without a fully baked crust. Liquid can leak out.
- Washing a tinned steel pan and leaving it wet. It rusts. Dry it in a warm oven.
In recipes
"23 cm (9 in) loose-bottomed tart tin" and "fluted tart pan with a removable bottom" mean the same thing.
Recipes made with it
6 recipes from the sites we collect.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart
www.onceuponachef.com
Chocolate Tart
www.onceuponachef.com · 90 min
Pâte Sucrée (Sweet Tart Dough)
www.onceuponachef.com · 45 min
Fresh Blueberry Tarts
pinchofyum.com · 55 min
No-Bake Lemon Cookie Fruit Tarts
minimalistbaker.com · 150 min
French Silk Brownie Pie
pinchofyum.com · 380 min
Related terms
- Shortcrust pastryShortcrust pastry is a crumbly, tender pastry of flour, fat and a little water, used for pies, tarts and quiche. Here is the ratio and how to make it.
- Blind bakeBlind baking is baking a pie or tart crust before the filling goes in, using weights to stop it puffing up. It keeps the base crisp, not soggy.
- QuicheQuiche is a savory tart of eggs and cream baked in a pastry crust with bacon, cheese or vegetables. See the ratio and how to avoid a soggy base.
- DockTo dock is to prick holes in raw pastry, crackers or pizza dough with a fork so steam can escape. It keeps the base flat instead of puffing up in the oven.
- Springform panA springform pan is a round cake pan whose side unclips from the base, so you can lift out cheesecakes and tortes without turning them over.
- Rolling pinA rolling pin is a smooth cylinder for rolling out pastry, cookie and pasta dough to an even thickness. Here is how to use one and which type to pick.