Best 7 The Perfect Shortcrust Pastry Recipes

PIE CRUST (SHORTCRUST PASTRY)

Steps:

• Pulse Dry: Place flour, sugar and salt in food processor. Pulse twice to combine.
• Cut in butter: Scatter butter across surface. Pulse 5 times until the largest pieces are the size of chickpeas.
• Add chilled water: With the motor running on low, pour 2.5 tbsp of water into the tube feeder.
• Form crumbs: Keep blitzing for 10 seconds until crumbs form (also see video). Pinch between fingers - they should stick and form a dough.
• HAND option: Whisk flour, sugar and salt in large bowl. Rub butter into flour with tips of fingers until it resembles crumbs - it should look the same as using a food processor. Then mix in cold water with rubber spatula, then proceed with steps below.
• Form disc: Tip crumbs out onto work surface, bring together into dome (don't knead), pat into 2cm/ 4/5" thick disc.
• Chill: Wrap in clingwrap then refrigerate 1 hour (up to 2 days, otherwise freeze).
• Dust with flour: Sprinkle work surface with flour, unwrap dough and place on the flour. Sprinkle top with flour, dust rolling pin with flour.
• Roll out: Roll out into round that's 10cm/4" larger than 22.5cm/9" pie tin. Patch up and roll over cracks as necessary
• Transfer to pie dish: Gently roll the pastry so it wraps around the rolling pin. Unroll it over the pie dish.
• Drape pastry into pie tin (do not stretch/pull, causes shrinkage).
• Trim: If making a pie with NO LID (like Pumpkin Pie), then trim edges with scissors leaving a 1 cm / 2/5" overhang. If making a pie with a lid (like a Meat Pie) then trim edges so they align with the edge of the pie tin (ie no excess overhang).
• Tuck excess under, if appliable (ie per step above, if making a no lid pie). Then crimp or decorate edge as desired.
• Refrigerate: Put pie crust in the freezer for 15 - 30 minutes (while oven heats up). This helps prevent shrinkage, firms up the butter again (flakiness!) and helps to ensure decorative crimped edges remain in tact.
• Baking options (Note 4) - Blind bake the pie crust if it will be baked once filled (eg Meat Pie, Pumpkin Pie). Fully bake the pie crust if it will not be baked once filled.
• Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan).
• Line & weigh down: Place 2 large pieces of parchment/baking paper crosswise over the pastry, then fill with baking beads or lots of rice or dried beans to weigh it down. (Note 2)
• Bake 1 covered: Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from oven.
• Bake 2 uncovered: Use excess paper to CAREFULLY remove hot beads, then return to oven for 5 minutes or until base is light golden (doesn't need to be 100% cooked though).
• Cool: Remove from oven. Cool 15 minutes in the pie tin before filling (another measure to avoid soggy base).
• Follow directions per Blind Baking steps above BUT bake at 190°C/375°F (170°C fan) covered with baking beads for 25 minutes, then 15 minutes uncovered until golden. Fully cool before filling.
• Fill and bake per directions of chosen pie filling - such as Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie, Meat Pie. The par baked pastry will not be 100% cooked, it finishes cooking with the filling. It's cooked enough so the crust will not go soggy.

PERFECT SHORTCRUST PASTRY RECIPE

Steps:

• Measure out the flour into a mixing bowl with a kitchen food scale.
• Add the salt
• Gently sift flour and salt together
• Add the egg yolks and gently mix with your hands
• Slowly add the water bit by bit as you work the dough with your hands.
• You may not need all the water, so ensure you only add a little bit at a time, work it into the dough and if you still need more, add a little more, until your shortcrust pastry dough is the right consistency.
• Mix the dough until you have a soft pastry dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
• Gently tip the pastry onto a lightly floured surface.
• Form the dough into a ball with your hands
• Take care to not overwork the dough.
• Gently flatten the pastry into a disc and wrap in saran wrap or press n' seal.
• Chill the dough in the fridge for about 3 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 392 degrees.
• Roll out your shortcrust pastry to the same size as your pie tin on a lightly floured surface.
• Allow a little extra crust to hand over the rim of the pie tin.
• Gently lift the pastry and line the pie tin.
• Press firmly into the corners and sides.
• Prick the base of the pastry crust all over with a fork
• Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with a layer of baking weights or baking beans.
• Blind bake pie crust for 10-12 minutes
• Remove pie crust from oven and gently remove the baking beans/beads and parchment paper
• Gently brush crust with beaten egg wash
• Return to oven for another 5-8 minutes to dry out the crust and seal it.
• Remove from the oven and trim the pie crust sides.
• Set aside shortcrust pie shell to cool while you prepare your filling.

SHORTCRUST PASTRY

Steps:

• Place the flour, salt, and butter in a food processor and whiz or pulse briefly. Add half the beaten egg and continue to whiz. You might add a little more egg, but not too much as the mixture should be just moist enough to come together.
• If making by hand, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. Then, using your hands, add just enough egg to bring the dough together. With your hands, flatten out the ball of dough, until it is about 3/4-inch thick, and then wrap in plastic wrap, or place in a plastic bag, and leave in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or, if you are pushed for time, in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Variations:
• Sweet shortcrust pastry: In place of the pinch of salt, use 1 tablespoon of icing sugar.
• Sour cream shortcrust pastry: Replace the egg with 2 tablespoons of sour cream or creme fraiche, adding just enough to bring the dough together.

HOW TO MAKE PERFECT SHORTCRUST BY HAND OR MACHINE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients
• Place the flour, salt, and butter in a large, clean bowl.
• Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, working as quickly as possible to prevent the dough from becoming warm.
• Add the water to the mixture. Using a cold knife, stir until the dough binds together. Add more cold water a teaspoon at a time if the mixture is too dry. Form the dough into a ball.
• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for a minimum of 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes.
• Use the shortcrust dough in your favorite pie, tart, or quiche recipe.
• Place the flour, salt, and butter into the bowl of the processor.
• Using only the pulse setting, pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Avoid overmixing if you can. (Too much handling can result in hard, dry pastry.)
• Through the funnel on the top of the processor, slowly add the water a little at a time until the mixture comes together in a ball.
• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 15 minutes and up to half an hour.
• Use in your desired pie, tart, and quiche recipe. Enjoy.

THE PERFECT SHORTCRUST PASTRY

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine the flour and salt. Add the butter and pulse for a few seconds at a time until the butter is the size of peas. Add the water and pulse again until the dough just begins to form. Add water as needed. Remove the dough from the food processor and form two discs.
• Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes.
• Roll out the dough on a floured work surface or between two sheets of parchment paper in a 3 to 4-mm (1/8-inch) thick sheet. Use the dough to make a 2-crust pie or line two 23 to 25-cm (9 to 10-inch) pie plates.

SHORTCRUST PASTRY

Steps:

• Sift flour into a bowl and rub in butter. Add egg yolk and enough water to make ingredients cling together.
• Press dough into a ball and knead gently on a floured surface until smooth. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Use pastry for tarts, pastries, quiches, or other savory goodies.

BASIC SHORTCRUST PASTRY

Steps:

• Sift 225g plain flour into a large bowl, add 100g diced butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Stir in a pinch of salt, then add 2-3 tbsp water and mix to a firm dough.
• Knead the dough briefly and gently on a floured surface.
• Wrap in cling film and chill while preparing the filling.