By Elaine Lemm. British & Irish Food Expert
Carrying out a effective career like a chef and restaurateur, British born Elaine Lemm is really a highly respected drink and food author and lately voted among the top 50 within the United kingdom. She's an excellent desire for British Food and Irish Food, both modern and traditional.
Updated August 05, 2016.
Shortcrust pastry really is really easy to create. It is among the most versatile pastry as possible employed for both savoury and sweet dishes. Shortcrust pastry is only a combination of flour - usually plain flour or all-purpose - as it is termed in america - along with a fat, either butter, lard or a combination of both. They are bound along with either cold water or with egg for any more potent pastry.
There's you don't need to hesitate of creating pastry. it truly is very easy. The pastry can be created either by hands or speed use a mixer for those who have one. Each method are proven below, you select.
To create a effective shortcrust pastry there's a couple of tips you might find handy, try them out before you begin.
Ingredients
- 200g (2 cups) plain flour or all-purpose flour (see tip below)
- Pinch of salt
- 110g (4 oz butter,) cubed or perhaps an equal mixture of butter and lard
- 2-3 tablespoons of cold water
- Note:
- Makes approximately 300g (10 oz) pastry.
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Preparation
Shortcrust Pastry Recipe - Hands Made Method
- Put the flour, butter and salt right into a large, clean bowl.
- Rub the butter in to the flour together with your fingertips before the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, being employed as rapidly as you possibly can to avoid the dough becoming warm.
- Add some water towards the mixture and taking advantage of a chilly knife stir before the dough binds together, increase the cold water a teaspoon at any given time when the mixture is simply too dry.
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- Wrap the dough in clingfilm (plastic wrap) and chill for at least fifteen minutes and as much as half an hour.
Shortcrust Pastry Recipe - Utilizing a Mixer
For those who have a mixer, it may accelerate pastry making. I favor to utilize a processor because the pulse avoids the over handling from the mixture which can lead to hard, dry pastry - a typical fault.
- Put the flour, butter and salt in to the bowl from the processor.
- Only using the heart beat setting, pulse before the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Avoid over mixing if you're able to,
- With the funnel on top of the processor, gradually add some water just a little at any given time before the mixture all comes together inside a ball.
- Wrap the pastry in Clingfilm / plastic wrap and chill as above within the hands-made method.
- In america, use equal amount of all-purpose flour and cake flour for any lighter pastry.
- For additional pastry making tips take a look at Strategies for effective shortcrust pastry .
- Unsure just how much pastry you'll need - Use My Pastry Calculator
- For any more potent, stronger pastry - Wealthy Shortcrust Pastry Recipe