Making Shortcrust Pastry
This is a base skill that transforms flour and fat into a vessel for fruit or cream. When done right, the pastry shatters cleanly under a fork rather than bending or stretching.
Temperature is your primary ingredient.
If your kitchen is warm, chill your mixing bowl in the freezer for ten minutes before starting. Warm fat results in a greasy, heavy dough.
- large mixing bowl
- pastry cutter or two butter knives
- plastic wrap
- rolling pin
What goes in.
- 250gall-purpose flour
- 125gcold unsalted butter, cubed
- pinchfine sea salt
- 3-4 tbspice-cold water
Coarse Sand Texture
Use your fingertips to work the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Stop before the butter disappears entirely; visible pea-sized flecks create the layers that make the pastry crisp.
The method.
Mix dry ingredients
Whisk the flour and salt in your bowl to ensure even distribution.
Cut in the fat
Add the cold butter cubes. Use your pastry cutter or fingertips to break the butter into the flour until you reach the coarse sand stage.
Hydrate the dough
Add the water one tablespoon at a time. Toss with a fork between additions. The dough should just hold together when pinched.
Form and chill
Gently press the dough into a flat disc. Wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour to allow the flour to hydrate fully and the butter to firm up.
Roll out
Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface, starting from the center and working outward, rotating the dough frequently to keep it from sticking.
Other turns to take.
Sweet Crust
Add 50g of fine caster sugar to the dry ingredients for a crust suited for fruit tarts.
Herbed Crust
Stir one tablespoon of finely chopped fresh thyme or rosemary into the flour for savory quiches.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Never over-knead the dough, as this makes it elastic and tough.
If the butter starts to soften while rolling, wrap the dough and return it to the fridge for 15 minutes.
Using a metal bowl helps keep the fat cold longer than plastic or ceramic.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my pastry shrink in the oven?
The dough was not chilled long enough or was stretched too much while being placed into the pan. Resting the dough allows the gluten to relax.
Can I make this in a food processor?
Yes, but use the pulse button only. Stop as soon as the mixture is crumbly; the machine moves fast and can overheat the butter in seconds.
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