Mixing Shortcrust Pastry
The goal is to keep the butter as cold as possible until the crust hits the oven. If the butter melts during mixing, it will seep out during baking, leaving you with a greasy, crumbly mess instead of distinct, flaky layers.
Temperature is your primary ingredient.
If your kitchen is warm, chill your flour, your mixing bowl, and your hands in the freezer for ten minutes before you begin.
- Large stainless steel mixing bowl
- Bench scraper
- Pastry cutter or two butter knives
What goes in.
- 1 1/4 cupall-purpose flour
- 1/2 cupunsalted butter, cubed and chilled
- 1/2 tspfine sea salt
- 3 tbspice water
Stop before you think you are finished
Your instinct will be to mix until smooth. Fight it. You want visible streaks of butter throughout the dough; these create the pockets of steam that flake the pastry.
The method.
Combine dry
Whisk the flour and salt in your chilled bowl. Create a well in the center.
Cut in the fat
Add the cold butter cubes. Use the pastry cutter to chop the butter into the flour. Work quickly until the texture is shaggy and uneven, with butter pieces varying from the size of a pea to a walnut.
Hydrate
Drizzle two tablespoons of ice water over the mixture. Use the bench scraper to fold the dough over itself. Add the remaining water only if the dough refuses to cling together when you squeeze a handful.
Gather
Press the shaggy pile into a flat disc using the flat edge of the bench scraper. Do not knead it with your palms; the heat from your skin is the enemy.
Other turns to take.
Sweet Shortcrust
Add two tablespoons of superfine sugar to the flour before adding the butter to pair with fruit-based fillings.
Herb-Infused
Rub finely minced fresh thyme or rosemary into the flour before adding the fat to complement savory pies.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use a glass of ice water with a spoon; measure out the water from the top to ensure it is as cold as possible.
If the butter feels soft or sticky, stop and put the bowl in the fridge for ten minutes before continuing.
Always wrap the dough disc in plastic wrap and chill it for at least an hour before rolling out.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why does my dough crumble when I try to roll it out?
It is likely too dry. Add ice water, one teaspoon at a time, until the dough holds together when pinched.
Can I use a food processor?
Yes, but use the pulse setting only. Stop when the mixture looks like coarse meal. It is very easy to overwork the dough in a machine, which leads to a dense, cracker-like texture.
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