Shortcrust pastry – foolproof recipe & method

I cook and eat a lot of quiches and tarts, both savoury and sweet. They can be eaten at pretty much any time of day – brunch, lunch, snack, supper, late, either hot or cold! Perfect to put in the freezer too. You can use up what you’ve got in the fridge or make one that is seasonal & full of fresh ingredients. Many people are put off making their own pastry, I know ready made is easy and not that expensive. This, however, is such an easy, quick recipe and always turns out perfect. Its doesn’t stick (particularly if you use my rolling method) and doesn’t bobble, crimp or tear – I have tried a lot of pastry recipes! It is even cheaper than buying ready made and tastes so much better, you won’t ever feel the need to buy ready made again!

Basic shortcrust pastry recipe

Preheat oven to 180°C

140g unsalted butter cut into cubes
225g plain flour
a couple tbsp ice cold water

Blitz the butter and flour in a food processor for approximately 30 seconds. When it looks like fine breadcrumbs, add the water a little at a time, continue pulsing until it all comes together. Shape into a flattish circle, about 10cm diameter, 2cm thick, wrap in greaseproof paper and leave in the fridge for at least 1/2 hour.

To line your flan dish

Grease the dish with butter. Sprinkle a tbsp of flour onto a flat surface and place the pastry. With the rolling pin, roll back and forth once, then turn the pastry 30 clockwise, roll the pin back and forth again, turn the pastry etc. Keep repeating these steps until you have a circle which is big enough for your dish and thin enough, between 2-3mm. If you apply the same pressure when you roll your pin and keep turning,  you will have a near perfect circle and this method prevents the pastry from sticking to the surface so you won’t ruin it as you are trying to peel it off to line your dish. Put the rolling pin on the edge of the circle, pull up the pastry and loosely roll the circle onto the rolling pin. Hold it at the edge of the dish and unroll over it. Press down on the bottom and into the edge of the dish. Leave the pastry hanging over the edge, you can trim it once it is cooked. This will prevent the pastry from shrinking.

To cook the pastry

Cover with greaseproof paper, put in baking beans and place in the oven for 20 minutes. Take off the baking beans and paper and put back into the oven for another 5 minutes. Your pastry case if ready to fill.

Sweet pastry

140g unsalted butter cut into cubes
225g plain flour
50g icing sugar
2 egg yolks

Blitz the butter, flour and sugar in a food processor for approximately 30 seconds. When it looks like fine breadcrumbs, add the egg yolk one at a time, continue pulsing until it all comes together. Shape into a flattish circle, about 10cm diameter, 2cm thick, wrap in greaseproof paper and leave in the fridge for at least 1/2 hour.

Cook as above.