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.
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🌟 Why You'll Love This 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.
📝 Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it’s very quick and easy make. It can be made in about 10 minutes.
This recipe for shortcrust pastry is flaky. It’s flaky because of the way it’s made. Rather than kneading the butter into the pastry, the butter is cut into tiny chunks and left lumpy in the pastry. When baked the butter melts and creates air pockets in the pastry making it flaky.
Keep uncooked shortcrust pastry in the fridge, tightly wrapped in plastic. It can be stored this way for two to three days. However, the dough will turn a slight greyish colour, don’t worry about the colour, it can still use it.
Yes, it can be frozen. To freeze, shape the dough into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic, and place in a freezer bag.
Alternatively, you can roll the dough, line a baking dish, place in the freezer unwrapped and allow to harden, then tightly wrap in plastic and return to the freezer. It can be stored this way for 2- 3 months.
The dough will take about 24 hours to defrost in the fridge. Once thawed, allow the dough to soften slightly at room temperature for about 20 – 60 minutes, which will make it easier to roll.
The dough should be soft and still cold when you roll it. If it’s been left out for too long and is warm, place it back in the fridge to chill before using.
I don’t recommend defrosting shortcrust pastry in the microwave. Microwaves tend to defrost things unevenly, which can cause pockets of melted butter in the pastry which will ruin it.
This recipe for shortcrust pastry in not sweet, but if you add sugar to this recipe you can make a sweet shortcrust pastry.
To make a sweet shortcrust pastry, add about 4 -5 tablespoons of caster sugar (fine sugar) or icing sugar (powdered sugar) to the flour before making the dough.
Blind baking is a process of baking a pie crust or other pastry without a filling. The pie crust is usually lined with baking paper or foil, then filled with pie beads or dried beans. The weight of the pie beads will help the pie crust hold its shape during baking.
Yes, blind baking shortcrust pastry is a must. It will stop the bottom of the pie from becoming soggy and reduce shrinkage. Depending on the type of pie you are making, the pie crust can be partially or fully baked.
Partially cooked also known as prebaked pie crusts are generally blind baked for about 15 minutes using pie beads, and a further 5 minutes without pie beads. Use prebaked pie crusts for quiche, meat pies or any pie that needs baking.
Fully cooked pie crusts are generally blind baked for about 15 minutes with pie beads, and 10 - 15 minutes more without pie beads, or until the bottom turns golden brown.
Fully baked pie shells are used for dessert style pies that don’t require baking, like fresh fruit filled pies, pies that are set with gelatine or cream pies
Store cooked pie crusts in the fridge if they are to be used with 3-4 days. Otherwise wrap in plastic and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
🍳 Step By Step Instructions
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 savory fillings.
- Scottish fruit slice squares
- Leek and smoked salmon quiche
- Mini strawberry tarts
- Easy fruit mince pies
- Quiche Lorraine
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📋 Recipe Card
How to Make Shortcrust Pasrty & Prebaked Pie Crusts
EQUIPMENT
- Metric scales
- Metric measuring jug or cups
- Firm pastry scraper or pastry blender (these are optional)
- Rolling pin
INGREDIENTS
- ¾ cup milk cold
- 1 egg cold, cold
- 360 grams (12.69 ounces) plain flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 220 grams (7.76 ounces) butter cold and cut into tiny cubes
For sweet shortcrust pastry
- 4 - 5 tablespoons caster sugar (fine sugar) or icing sugar (powdered sugar)
INSTRUCTIONS
Making Shortcrust Pastry
- Place the beaten egg into a measuring jug, add enough milk to make 1 cup (250 ml). Put aside.
- Place the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and combine.Note: If you want sweet shortcrust pastry mix in 4 – 5 tablespoons of caster sugar (fine sugar) or icing sugar (powdered sugar) to the flour.
- Add the cubed butter to the flour. Note: You can use salted or unsalted butter.
- Rub with your fingertips (or use a pastry blender) to mix until it resembles crumbs.
- Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in almost all of the of the egg/milk mixture.
- Use a knife or pastry scraper to work the flour into the milk mixture, it should just come together and should not be sticky. If it has not come together, add a little more of the milk mixture. Note: If the dough is a little sticky, dust with some flour and fold it into the dough.
- Use your hands to press the dough together and form a ball.
- Cover with plastic and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour before using.The above steps are for making the shortcrust pastry dough – you can stop here and continue on with your chosen recipe. Or, continue with the following to make your own prebaked pie crusts.
Making Prebaked Pie Crusts
- You will need a 25 cm round loose bottom flan tin, that’s 3 cm deep, or something similar.Divide the dough into two even sized pieces.Note: Blind bake one half for a prebaked pie crust. Store the other half in the fridge until ready to use. It can be used as pie top if you are making a sealed pie or use it to bake a second pie crust if you are making an open pie or flan.
- Place the dough onto a floured surface and lightly dust the top of the dough and rolling pin.
- Roll the dough out large enough to line the base, sides and above the height of the tin.
- Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and lift it onto the top of the tin.
- 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.
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) about 15 minutes before baking.
- 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.
- Line the base and sides of the pie crust with a piece of baking paper. Note: 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.
- Allow the pie crust to cool before using or freezing.
Notes
- Make sure that the butter, milk and eggs are cold and ensure that the dough remains cold when rolling and shaping.
- 2.The dough must be chilled before baking.
- This recipe make about 770 grams of dough. Enough to make 1 pie with a pie crust top., or 2 pie crusts without a top.
- This dough can be frozen both raw and cooked - Please refer to the detailed notes on my recipe page. https://recipepocket.com/how-to-make-shortcrust-pastry/
Frances says
Made this for apple pie, didn't add sugar as filling was sweet enough. Turned out beautifully. First time making shortcrust pastry.
Susan says
This crust is quite yummy, however, 180 degrees Celsius is definitely not 200 Fahrenheit! I tried that and the butter just melted out. The correct number is 356 degrees Fahrenheit (350 would probably be fine).
Harriet Britto says
Yes, you are right 180°C is about 350°F, I’ve corrected the error. Thanks for letting me know.
Cheryl Ragsdale says
I love the shortcrust pastry recipe! However, I am in the states, and have struggled with converting the grams to cups. Could you print a conversion for those of us who are gram-challenged ?
Harriet Britto says
Hi Cheryl, I’m so glad you loved the recipe!
Most of the recipes on my blog are in metric because it is more accurate than using cups, especially when it comes to measuring dry ingredients.
For example, when weighing flour into a cup, it could be lightly spooned into the cup to give you 100 grams or, it could be packed into the cup and to give you 140 grams. Such a situation can make a huge difference on how the recipe turns out.