Shortcrust pastry basic recipe

A quick and easy recipe for shortcrust pastry. You can make it by hand or in a food processor.Used for apple pies

Ingredients

• 125g/4oz plain flour
• pinch of salt
• 55g/2oz butter, cubed
• 30-45ml/2-3 tbsp cold water

• Shortcrust pastry Preparation method

  1. Put the flour and salt in a large bowl and add the cubes of butter.
  2. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until you have a mixture that resembles coarse breadcrumbs with no large lumps of butter remaining. Try to work quickly so that it does not become greasy.
  3. Using a knife, stir in just enough of the cold water to bind the dough together.
  4. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill for 10-15 minutes before using.
  5. Alternatively using a food processor, put the flour, butter and salt in the food processor and pulse until the fat is rubbed into the flour.
  6. With the motor running, gradually add the water through the funnel until the dough comes together. Only add enough water to bind it and then stop.
  7. Wrap the dough in clingfilm as before and chill for 10-15 minutes before using.

See the video,Gordon Ramsy is making shortcrust

Basic shortcrust pastry 2 recipe

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups (250g) plain flour
• 125g unsalted butter, chilled, finely chopped
• 1 egg, chilled

Directions to make the Shortcrust

Notes

• Step 1
• Process flour, butter and a pinch of salt in a food processor until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Step 2
• Whisk egg and 1 tbs chilled water in a bowl until combined, then with food processor motor running, add to flour mixture. Process until mixture begins to form large clumps, stopping machine before mixture forms a ball.
• Step 3
• Turn pastry out on to a work surface and knead gently to bring together. Form into a disc for a round tart or into a log shape for a rectangular tart. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours.

 

Shortcrust pastry is a type of pastry often used for the base of a tart, quiche or pie. It does not puff up during baking because it usually contains no leavening agent. It is possible to make shortcrust pastry with self-raising flour, however. Shortcrust pastry can be used to make both sweet and savory pies such as apple pie, quiche, lemon meringue or chicken pie. Many shortcrust pastries are prepared using vegetable shortening, a fat food product that is solid at room temperature, the composition of which lends to creating crumbly, shortcrust-style pastries and pastry crusts.

It is based on a “half-fat-to-flour” ratio. Fat (lard, shortening, butter or full-fat margarine) is rubbed into plain flour to create a loose mixture that is then bound using a small amount of ice water, rolled out, then shaped and placed to create the top or bottom of a flan or pie. Ideally, equal amounts of butter and lard are used to make the pastry, ensuring that the ratio of the two fat products is half that of the flour. The butter is employed to give the pastry a rich flavor, whilst the lard ensures optimum texture.

Techniques

In both sweetcrust and shortcrust pastry, care must be taken to ensure that fat and flour are blended thoroughly before liquid is added. This ensures that the flour granules are adequately coated with fat and are less likely to develop gluten and may be achieved with the use of a specialized kitchen utensil called a pastry blender, or through various alternatives, like a pair of table knives held in one hand.

Overworking the dough is also a hazard. Overworking elongates the gluten strands, creating a product that is tough, rather than light and crumbly or flaky.

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