Short Crust Pastry by Limalady (on Video Jug)

How To Make Short Crust Pastry

Short crust pastry is a type of pastry that does not rise or puff up during baking. It is used in a variety of recipes, most notably as the crust for pies and tarts. As a rule, shortcrust pastry contains half as much fat as the amount of flour in the recipe. Often the type of fat is divided equally between butter and shortening. The result is a light, flaky and delicious crust.

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You Will Need 110 g Plain Flour , NB The amount sin this recipe will make enough pastry to make a good-sized quiche or tart 25 g Lard 25 g Butter

Weights & Measures: Metric US Imperial UK Imperial Serves: 1 Preparation Time: 30 minutes

When learning how to make short crust pastry, you will find that the ingredients are basically the same for all recipes: flour (all-purpose flour, not cake flour), fat, a pinch of salt and a small amount of water. However, there are many people who don't know how to make short crust pastry the correct way and have given up due to poor results. Nevertheless, there is nothing like a homemade crust.

The key to learning how to make short crust pastry that is delicious, light and flaky is to keep the ingredients at the ideal temperature throughout each step, use the right tools, and use a light touch. A pastry cutter will help you achieve all of these goals. However, a standard table knife can be substituted if you don't have a pastry cutter on hand.

Step 1: Prepare the ingredients

Begin by cutting refrigerated butter into small pieces. If your recipe calls for half butter and half shortening, measure the shortening. Sift the all-purpose flour and a dash of salt into a bowl. Sifting adds air to the flour, helping to result in a lighter, flakier crust.

Step 2: Mix the flour and butter

Cut the cold butter and shortening into the flour using the pastry cutter or knife. Work quickly, making short chopping motions with the tool of your choice. Continue cutting the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles small bread crumbs.

Step 3: Add some water

The next step is to add a bit of cold water. Start with 1 or 2 tablespoons, sprinkling it over the flour and water mixture. With the pastry cutter or knife, continue to cut into the mixture.

Step 4: Keeping it cool

Now switch to mixing with your hands. However, the heat from your hands can warm the dough, resulting in a poor quality crust. Therefore, you should rinse your hands in cold water and lightly towel dry prior to handling the dough. Mix the dough quickly and thoroughly using only your finger tips, adding a little additional water if necessary, until the dough forms a ball. Don't over-mix!

Step 5: Give it a rest

Once mixed, it's important to allow the dough to rest before rolling. However, it is equally important to keep the dough cool. Wrapping the dough in plastic wrap and placing in the refrigerator for at least one half hour will accomplish both goals. You can leave the dough in the refrigerator for up to three days before baking.

Step 6: Rolling the dough

To make rolling easy, remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to stand at room temperature for about half an hour. Roll the dough to the desired size between two pieces of lightly floured waxed paper. This will not only keep the dough from sticking, but will also make it easy to transfer to a baking pan.

When learning how to make short crust dough that has both an excellent taste and a light flaky texture, the two main points to remember are temperature and technique. Keeping all ingredients cool and working with a swift yet light touch will yield excellent results every time.