Shortcrust Pastry
This is a very useful pastry for pies and tarts alike, its quick to make and can even be made in a food processor to save time.
Ingredients
- 180g plain flour
- 120g unsalted butter
- a pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons cold water
Preparation Time: 10 minutes (+15 minutes resting)
Cooking Time: n/a
Serves: n/a
Method
- Place all of the ingredients into a bowl.
- Using your fingers tips, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Alternatively, put the whole lot into a food processor and blitz it until it resembles breadcrumbs.
- Press the ball of dough into a disk shape and wrap it with cling-film/plastic-wrap. Place it in the fridge for about 15 minutes to firm up. Don’t leave it in the fridge much longer than that or else the butter will become too firm and the pastry will crack when it is rolled out.
Useful Information
Can it be frozen? Yes.
Can it be prepared in advance? Yes, it can be finished up to 3 days in advance.
Will leftovers be nice? Erm, not really... it's raw pastry.