When making shortcrust pastry successfully, getting the right consistency is the most challenging part. Cast your mind back to the days of using play dough, that is the consistency you are after. The only other warning I can give is linked to overworking the dough, you are not making bread so don't be too heavy handed. Keep a light touch when getting to the breadcrumb stage and only knead long enough to just mix the ingredients. Letting your pastry rest reduces the elasticity and makes it easier to work with. Practice and practice again the end result you are looking for is a tasty crumbly and crunchy crust for your creation.
Link to measurement conversion chart
Ingredients
- 8oz/225g Plain flour
- 2oz/50g Margarine, cut to approx 1cm cubes
- 2oz/50g White fat or lard, cut to approx 1cm cubes
- Pinch of salt
- Approx 8 fl oz/½ pt water
You will also need
- A large mixing bowl
- Cold hands preferred
Method
- Put the flour Into a large mixing bowl with the salt and fat.Rub the fat and flour together using your finger tips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs
- Add half the water and stir with a knife or your hand. The crumbs should start to form a dough, if not add more water a little at a time. Do not add too much!
- Empty the bowl onto a work surface and gently knead the dough just until it forms a ball and the ingredients are mixed, have a care - do not overwork the dough
- Put the dough in the fridge for a min 30 mins to rest before you use it
Hints, tips and variations
- Cold ingredients are better, use fat straight from the fridge
- Finger tips are best as they hold less heat than your palms – remember cold is best.
- Small cubes of fat mean you less handling and effort to get to the breadcumb stage
- If you add too much water the pastry will be too wet and sticky to use. If you have not gone too far and have a slightly sticky dough, add a little more flour by dusting the work surface when you are ready to knead your pastry. Otherwise discard the sticky mess, learn from your mistake and start again
- If re-rolling pastry scraps layer the scraps rather than scrunching and kneading them together, this helps avoid overworking
- Don’t re-roll more than 3 times, at this point it is time to feed the birds.
- For savoury flans I like to use 50/50 plain wholemeal and plain flour it is just as tasty and has a less course texture to a 100% wholemeal pastry. Oh and did I say it tastes great!
- If needing more or less pastry for your recipe, remember that the measurements are half fat to flour and the world is your pie crust.
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Acknowledgements
The original version of this recipe goes back generations however I still have to look it up occasionally in my copy of Hamlyn New All Colour Cookbook, a book that I have had since I learnt to cook at school.
Other recipes you might like to try that use shortcrust pastry
Savoury
All of the Quich and flans in our collection can be made using this shortcrust pastry recipe including
Sweet
- Louise's South African Lemon Meringe Pie
- Mince pies made using our Cranberry Mincemeat
We hope you have enjoyed these recipes and would love to hear from you if you have any recipes to share, serving suggestions or variations to add.
Happy eating!