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Making shortcrust pastry
How to make pastry for sweet and savoury tarts and pies.
Points to remember
- Sift flour and salt into bowl of food processor and add cold cubed butter (and sugar, if making a sweet pastry).
- Pulse the mixture together until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Add egg yolk and water mix, then pulse it until the dough begins to come together.
- Tip onto a worksurface, use your hands to gently press the dough into a disc. Wrap with clingfilm and rest for at least 30 mins or longer.
Useful tips
- Butter must be as cold as possible - warm or melted butter can make pastry greasy.
- Try not to add too much liquid - it can make pastry chewy instead of light and crumbly.
- Kneading or overworking pastry can make it tough. If you have over-handled your pastry, rest in the fridge for as long as possible.
- Once made and wrapped, the pastry can be frozen. Defrost in the fridge before using.
- Butter must be as cold as possible - warm or melted butter can make pastry greasy.
- Try not to add too much liquid - it can make pastry chewy instead of light and crumbly.
- Kneading or overworking pastry can make it tough. If you have over-handled your pastry, rest in the fridge for as long as possible.
- Once made and wrapped, the pastry can be frozen. Defrost in the fridge before using.
Other types of pastry for you to try
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