How To Make Shortcrust Pastry

Learn how to make shortcrust pastry with egg to use for both sweet and savoury dishes. It’s easier than you think and can be made in just 10 minutes. You’ll love the taste of this pasty, it’s so much tastier than store bought.

About The Recipe

• This shortcrust pastry is a very easy to make.
• It is buttery and melts in your mouth.
• It is made with milk and egg, giving it more flavour.
• It’s easy to roll.
• This pastry can be adapted for both sweet and savoury dishes.

Not only will I show you how to make shortcrust pastry. I will show you how blind bake and make your own prebaked pie crusts that can be frozen to be used later.

Tips And Frequently Asked Questions

Instructions and Tips

You will need butter, plain flour, salt, egg and milk.

• Start by combing the flour, salt and sugar (if using) into a large mixing bowl.
• Then cut some butter into cubes. You will need cold butter straight from the fridge, cut it into pieces, the smaller the better.

Tip: After cutting the butter into cubes, return it back to the fridge if you are not ready to make the pastry.

• Add the butter to the flour.

• Then use your fingertips, or pastry blender, or a firm pastry scraper to rub or “cut” the butter into the flour, breaking it into tiny uneven pieces.

Tip: If using your fingers, work quickly to break the butter into the flour. This will stop the butter from becoming too soft.

• Make a well in the centre of the flour.
• Next you will need to add moisture to the mixture. The moisture is a combination of egg and milk. Rather than adding each separately, combine the two. To do this, beat the egg and place it into a cup, then top it up with milk. Pour most of the egg/milk mixture into the flour/butter mixture.

Tip: Make sure that the egg and milk is fridge cold.

• Use a knife and or a pastry scraper, and gradually work the flour into the liquid. Adding a little more of the egg/milk mixture if necessary.

• You just want to gently fold the dough until it just comes together, avoid kneading. Kneading the dough will make it tough.
• The dough should be soft and not sticky, if you’ve added a little too much liquid a little more flour.

• Use the pastry scraper or your hands press the dough into a ball.

• Cover tightly in plastic and place in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight before rolling.

• Divide the dough into two, place one half on a lightly floured surface. Wrap the other half in plastic and return to the fridge, this can be used later for a pie top, another pie crust or it can be frozen for use later.

• Dust the top of the dough and the rolling pin with flour. Then roll the dough to a size lager enough to line the sides and base of the flan tin.
• As you roll out the dough move it from time to time and dust underneath with a little flour. This will stop the dough from sticking to the bench.

• When you are ready to line the tin, roll the dough onto the rolling pin and lift it onto the tin.

Tip: It is not necessary to grease the tin. The dough has enough butter in it, which will stop it from sticking.

• Use your hands to gently ease the dough into the tin. If it tears just press it back together.
• Gently press the dough to the sides and base of the tin and allow it to overhang the sides. Return to the fridge and allow to chill for 1 hour.

• Before blind baking, cut away the excess dough from the top of the tin. This can be done using a knife or just pressing down with your thumb.

How To Blind Bake Pastry Case

What can I use to blind bake?

In order to blind bake you will need something to act as a pie weight inside the pie crust. The pie weights need to completely fill the cavity of the pie case, right up to the top. Doing this will stop the crust from bubbling and will prevent shrinkage.

You could purchase ceramic pie weights, but this is not necessary. There are other things that you can use as pie weights. You could use dried beans, lentils, popcorn kernels, dry soup bean mix, rice or a combination of these.

Once used these can be left to cool, then stored in a jar to be used next time you need to bake a pie crust.

Blind baking with rice

• Line the base and sides of the pie crust with a piece of baking paper.
• Scrunching the baking paper will help it sit better inside the pie crust.
• Then carefully fill the inside of the pie crust with rice, right up to the top. Use your fingers to gently press the paper and rice into the outer edges of the base. Make sure that rice does not slip in between the baking paper and crust.
• Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes, then carefully lift the paper and rice from the pie crust. Use a fork to poke the base with holes. Return the crust back to the oven and bake for 5 minutes more for a partially cooked pie crust. For a fully cooked pie crust, cook for 10 – 15 minutes more or, until the base is a nice golden brown.

Don’t throw away rice that has been used for blind baking. Cook it as you normally would the next time you need to cook rice.

• Allow the pie crust to cool before using.

What Can You Make With Shortcrust Pastry?

Now you know how to make short crust pastry and pie crusts you can fill it any number of delicious sweet or savoury fillings.

• Scottish fruit slice squares
• Leek and smoked salmon quiche
• Mini strawberry tarts
• Easy fruit mince pies
• Quiche Lorraine

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You Might Like To Try These Easy Recipes

• Beef Madras Curry
• Stuffed Tomatoes With Beef Mince and Rice
• How To Cook Basmati Rice
• Stuffed Pasta Shells With Ricotta and Spinach
• Green Beans In Tomato Sauce
• Kneading Dough In A Mixer

Pocket Food Facts

Did You Know?

A tiny bit of salt is important in the diet. It helps the body transmit nerve impulses, contract and relax muscles and helps maintain body fluids. Read more about salt here.

Image by Bruno Glätsch from Pixabay