Short Crust Pastry

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.



Ingredients
500gm flour (soft)
250gm margarine or butter
3 tbsp cold water (approx)
Pinch of salt

Method
1. Sieve the flour and salt into a mixing bowl.
2. Rub the fat in to a sandy mixture.
3. Make a well in the centre and add the cold water.
4. The paste should be fairly firm. Add more water if necessary to bind the mixture.
5. Try not to over work the pastry.
6. Leave in a refrigerator to cool and to soften.
7. Roll the pastry out to about 5cm using a rolling pin for the recipes.
8. To avoid the pastry sticking to the table surface or to the rolling pin, sprinkle both sides of the dough generously with flour.



Short Crust pastry 2

Ingredients
225g plain flour
150g cold butter, diced
1/4 tsp salt
25g castor sugar
approximately 2 Tbsp ice water

Method:
1. Sift flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Cut butter into flour with a pastry cutter until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

2. Stir in sugar and add enough water to form a firm dough. Knead lightly then wrap pastry in a plastic bag and chill it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

3. Roll out pastry between two sheets of plastic wrap to fit a 23cm springform pie tin. Peel off top layer of plastic from the pastry then gradually and carefully ease the pastry into the tin. Peel off remaining plastic and trim the edges neatly.

4. Prick the base with a fork and chill in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes. Bake blind, covered with foil and filled with beans at 180°C for 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack

 
Short Crust Pastry 3:
250 g plain flour
114 g sugar
114 g unsalted butter
Pinch of salt
2 eggs, beaten
A little milk

1. Sieve the flour and salt together and then mix in the sugar.
2. Make a well in the centre of the flour and cut in the butter. Rub the mixture with fingertips until well mixed.
3. Add the beaten egg a little at a time and mix to a smooth dough. Let it rest in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes if it gets too soft to handle.
4. Roll out dough 1/2cm thick on a floured board and cut out “lids” for individual pies.
5. Then fold up excess pastry and roll out again and cut rounds to fit pie or patty tins.
6. Line the patty tins with this pastry and fill with mincepie filling.
7. Brush some milk on the pie edges and seal with the lids.
8. Bake in the centre of a hot oven 190-200 deg.C for 20 minutes or until golden.
9. Remove from oven when done, cool slightly and sprinkle with extra icing sugar.

Back to Recipes Index