Shortcrust Pastry
This is the foundation for almost any tart or quiche. The goal is a crisp, sandy texture that shatters when you cut into it, rather than something chewy or tough.
Temperature is your primary tool
Keep your butter cubed and frozen for ten minutes before you start. If the butter smears into the flour, you lose the flake.
- Large mixing bowl
- Pastry cutter or two table knives
- Plastic wrap
- Rolling pin
What goes in.
- 250gall-purpose flour
- 125gunsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 pinchfine sea salt
- 3-4 tbspice-cold water
Preserve the Butter Chunks
Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some visible, pea-sized chunks remaining. Those chunks create air pockets during baking.
The method.
Mix dry ingredients
Whisk the flour and salt in a bowl to ensure they are evenly combined.
Cut in the fat
Add the cold butter cubes. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to break the butter down until the mixture looks like wet sand with small, distinct pieces of butter left.
Bind the dough
Add the ice water one tablespoon at a time. Toss with a fork. Stop as soon as the dough begins to clump together. If you squeeze a handful and it stays together, it is ready.
Chill and rest
Turn the dough onto a surface, press it into a flat disc, and wrap it tightly in plastic. Refrigerate for at least one hour to allow the flour to hydrate and the fat to firm up.
Roll out
On a lightly floured surface, roll from the center outward, turning the dough a quarter turn each time to keep it even. Aim for a thickness of 3mm.
Other turns to take.
Sweet Shortcrust
Add 50g of fine caster sugar to the flour before cutting in the butter for dessert tarts.
Herb-infused
Add a teaspoon of finely chopped dried thyme or rosemary to the flour for savory pies.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always roll the pastry on a cool surface, like marble or granite, if possible.
Do not overwork the dough; excessive handling warms the butter and leads to a hard crust.
If the dough feels soft while rolling, stop and put it back in the fridge for ten minutes before continuing.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my pastry shrink in the oven?
The dough was not rested long enough. Resting in the fridge allows the gluten to relax so the shape holds during baking.
Can I use a food processor?
You can, but use short pulses. It is very easy to over-process and melt the butter, which makes for a dense crust.