Short-crust pastry or sweet pastry as its also called is used for a wide variety of tarts and pie bases. It is highly versatile. The basic recipe is covered here. It should be crunchy but tender and buttery all in one mouthful. If you need the simple savoury version then see this recipe.
In the USA it is often known as a sweet short pastry and in France it is called Brisée.
For many chefs, making a sweet short-crust pastry is a basic skill of the kitchen which should be practiced often because it is so commonly used in baking. Personally, using the hands to rub the butter into the flour gives the best results but I know that shortage of time has meant resorting to a food processor to create a crumb. Much of the skill is based on practice – I personally find it more therapeutic and in keeping with mindfulness!
[Please note we are an affiliate marketing partner and will make a sales commission if you purchase any items through our affiliate links. Please read our affiliate disclosure]
Equipment:
-
- tart tins: 22 to 25cm (8 3/4 to 10 in.) single tart tin or 6 deep fluted 10cm (4in.) tart tins or even 12 muffin-tin size tarts
- food processor
- saucepans
- knives
- palette knife
- small bowls
- wooden spoons/ spatulas
Ingredients:
- 180g-200g (up to 1½ cups) plain flour or all-purpose flour
- 125g salted butter, cubed/diced and chilled in the fridge.
- 65 – 70g caster sugar or 40g (4½ tablespoons of icing or confectioner’s sugar), the latter is best sifted.
- 2 Tbsp ice-cold water
- 1 largish egg yolk
- 2 tsp lemon juice (optional but a good idea)
If you use unsalted butter, then add a pinch of salt in with the flour. The salt is essential for baking and conditioning the pastry dough.
Preparation:
- A food processor comes in handy here otherwise it needs to be done by hand. Put all the flour and the cubed butter into the processor. Keep pulsing until fine crumbs are formed.
- Manual technique: The flour and butter (with salt if unsalted butter used) are mixed together using the fingertips to form a mixture that looks like fine breadcrumbs. the butter can be cut up finer in the flour with a palette knife or a round-bladed one. Get as small as reasonably possible. Mary Berry and Pru Leith suggest switching to hands to pick up handfuls of flour with butter and allowing it to pass across the fingertips. gently press and rub the mixture as it falls back into the bowl. Just work quickly but continue to rub the butter into the flour until there are small flecks of butter left.
- Add the sugar and continue to pulse again to combine if using a food processor otherwise add to the crumb as in step 2.
- Add the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of ice-cold water and then just blitz until the dough comes together in a ball. Add another tablespoon of water if the dough is not forming and it is still too crumbly. If you are doing by hand, then make a well in the middle of the doughy mixture and add the egg yolk, water and lemon juice if desired. Bring together with a palette knife until the pastry clumps together.
- Gather into a ball and check to see if all components are mixed well in. Keep kneading but only for a maximum of 30 seconds – overkneading ruins the crumb structure.
- Flatten into a rough patty shape and knead for 10 seconds until smooth.
- Wrap the disc in cling-film (plastic wrap) or a tea towel and chill for a minimum of 30 minutes but 2 hours is ideal in the fridge before rolling out to make whatever tart base is needed.
Leave a Reply