The BEST Shortcrust Pastry Recipe

The BEST Shortcrust Pastry Recipe- Shortcrust pastry is a type of pastry often used in pies and quiche recipes. Whether it’s sweet or savory pies such as apple pies, lemon meringue pies, or chicken pies. When done correctly, homemade pastry is in a different league than store-bought varieties. Shortcrust pastry is one of the most simple and satisfying types of pastry to make at home, and it is well worth the extra effort for a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth base to homemade pies, quiches, and tarts.

The BEST Shortcrust Pastry Recipe:

why would you pay for a store bought shortcrust pastry when actually you can make a better one at home? This shortcrust pastry recipe is so easy and quick to make and won’t cost you a fortune too! it’s perfect for making ahead of time and freezing it for the perfect recipe you want to use it for.

Shortcrust pastry is made with a ‘half fat-to-flour’ ratio, with butter being the most commonly used fat, and a small amount of ice cold water added at the end to bring the pastry together. Many recipes call for a 50:50 mixture of butter and lard because lard improves the texture of the pastry, though the flavor will be less rich and buttery. Another option is to use vegetable shortening, which makes the pastry vegetarian and vegan friendly.

Pastry-making is a hobby that benefits those with cold hands; cooks frequently work on a marble slab to keep the pastry cool. It is critical to keep the butter cool because overheating it causes it to become oily, which smothers the flour and prevents the grains from properly absorbing the water. If the flour cannot absorb water properly, it will become too crumbly and difficult to roll.

Ingredients:

• 125 g butter
• 250 g flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon of water

How To Make The BEST Shortcrust Pastry Recipe?

1. In a dish or food processor, sift together the flour and salt. Cut the butter into cubes and place it in the mixing bowl or food processor.
2. Using a food processor, combine the butter and flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. If using your hands, cut the butter into the pastry with a knife, then rub it in with your fingertips. Lift it out of the mixing bowl and drop the crumbs from a height back into the bowl to incorporate air and keep the pastry light.
4. In the food processor, add a tablespoon of ice cold water and pulse briefly. Repeat until the dough just begins to come together. If you’re using your hands, add a tablespoon of cold water to the mixture and gently bring it together with your fingers. Turn out onto a work surface and knead lightly to form a dough once the dough has just begun to form a ball. If you add too much water during this process, the pastry will be easier to work with, but it will be hard and tough.
5. Squeeze the pastry together with your hands to form a small, thick pancake shape. Over-kneading the pastry encourages the development of gluten, resulting in a hard texture.
6. Wrap the pastry in cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using to allow the gluten to relax, which helps to prevent shrinkage when cooking. The pastry can now be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. Fresh pastry freezes well and can be safely defrosted overnight at room temperature. The pastry is ready to roll when it is slightly cooler than room temperature. Before beginning to work with the pastry, lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin.

Tips And Tricks:

• Before you begin, gather all of your equipment and ingredients, and weigh them all.
• When making shortcrust pastry, the golden rule is to keep the ingredients, equipment, and your hands as cool as possible. When the pastry mixture becomes too warm, the finished pastry crust becomes greasy and/or heavy and dull.
• Working quickly results in a lighter pastry.
• Resting the dough is important because it allows the gluten (proteins) in the dough to relax.
• Always bake the pastry in a hot, preheated oven. If the oven temperature is too low, the pastry will melt rather than cook.
• To ensure a crisp tart or pie crust, heat a heavy baking sheet in the oven before placing the tart or pie directly on the heated tray.

Method for Making It By Hand:

1. Gather your ingredients.
2. In a large, clean mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and butter.
3. With your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, working quickly to prevent the dough from becoming warm.
4. To the mixture, add the water. Stir with a cold knife until the dough comes together. If the mixture is too dry, add a teaspoon of cold water at a time. Make a ball out of the dough.
5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes.
6. Make your favorite pie, tart, or quiche with the shortcrust dough.

What Is the Difference Between Pie Crust and Shortcrust Pastry?

Pie crusts are made with shortcrust pastry dough. It is known in French as pâte brisée and contains no leavening agents and (usually) no sugar. Once baked, it becomes flaky and crispy rather than puffy. It’s the most common type of pastry and can be used in both sweet and savory recipes.

Pâte sucrée is a sweet (or rich) shortcrust pastry that incorporates sugar and egg, resulting in a more cookie-like texture in the finished pie.

Sablée is the third type of pastry (sandy pastry). This version has more butter and sugar, which results in a very crumbly crust.

Does Shortcrust Pastry Need to Be Baked Before Filling?

It depends on the recipe whether you need to pre-bake the shortcrust before adding the filling. Partially baking the crust, also known as “blind baking,” prevents soggy fruit pie crust and is used when the crust takes longer to bake than the filling. For pies with no baked filling (such as cream pies), the crust must be baked first.

What are the rules of making shortcrust pastry?

Get The Right Measurement

Pastry making, like other types of baking, is all about chemical reactions, so it’s critical to measure everything correctly. Making sure you have the correct amounts of flour, water, and butter is the first step toward a perfect outcome.

Keep It Cool

Heat is one of the enemies of perfect pastry. Work with chilled butter and water, and keep your workspace as cool as possible. Run cold water over your wrists to ensure your hands are cold.

A Perfect Crumb

Lightly pulse the pastry in a food processor until it is just combined. Make sure not to overwork the pastry; you want a fine, crumbly result rather than a sticky ball. Also, be careful not to add too much water or liquid, as this can quickly turn the pastry into a soggy mess.

Touch Of Light

With pastry, less is more, so handle it as little as possible. Lightly knead your shortcrust with your fingertips on a lightly floured board to bring it together.

Rest It

Allow your pastry to rest and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Allow the pastry to rest once more after rolling it out to fit your pastry case.

What can be made from shortcrust pastry?

Use your pastry skills to make a delicious recipe from our Sweet pie and tart recipes collection.

How to roll pastry?

A round is being rolled

Pat the pastry into a round shape before resting it. Then, place the rested dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it out with a perfectly straight rolling pin.

Dust the pin lightly with flour and place it in the center of the dough. Place the flat of your hands lightly on each end of the pin and begin rolling the dough backwards and forwards, gently and evenly, re-dusting the pin and the surface very lightly with flour if necessary to keep the pastry from sticking.

Give the pastry a quarter-turn as it expands, and it will roll out into a round shape that will keep its shape and not shrink as it cooks if you continue to roll backwards and forwards rather than side to side.

oblongs or squares that roll

As previously stated, before resting, pat the dough into the desired shape.

After it has rested, gently knock the sides into shape with the rolling pin to keep it in the desired shape, quarter turn it – as for a round – and then square it up with the rolling pin to knock the edges into shape.

MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES:

Can You Freeze Almond Milk ?

How Long Does Cookie Dough Last In The Fridge ?

How To Melt White Chocolate Chips ?

How Long To Bake Salmon At 450 ?

How Long Is Cooked Shrimp Good For ?

Did you make this recipe ? be sure to follow me on Pinterest, rate the recipe and tag #saltedcaramelgirl on Instagram!