Shortcrust pastry is the easiest pastry to make. It is a versatile pastry as it can be used for both savory and sweet dishes. Shortcrust pastry is a mixture of flour - usually all purpose/plain flour and a fat, either butter, lard or a mixture of both. These are bound together with either cold water or with egg for a richer pastry.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 7 oz/200g all purpose/plain flour (see tip below)
- pinch of salt
- 4 oz/ 110g butter, cubed or an equal mix of butter and lard
- 2-3 tbsp cold water
Preparation:
This quantity makes 10 oz/300g pastry.
Tip: Use equal quantities of all-purpose flour and cake flour for a lighter pastry.
More tips for successful shortcrust pastry.
How Much Pastry Do You Need - Use My Pastry Calculator
- Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean bowl.
- Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, working as quickly as possible to prevent the dough becoming warm.
- Add the water to the mixture and using a cold knife stir until the dough binds together, add more cold water a teaspoon at a time if the mixture is too dry.
- Wrap the dough in Saran wrap/Clingfilm and chill for a minimum of 15 minutes, up to 30 minutes.
Tip: Use equal quantities of all-purpose flour and cake flour for a lighter pastry.
More tips for successful shortcrust pastry.
How Much Pastry Do You Need - Use My Pastry Calculator
