Shortcrust pastry, also known as brisée pastry, is a dough with a crumbly and tasty texture, often used in recipes for savory or sweet pies. Below you will find a basic description of shortcrust pastry and a simple recipe for making it.
Rotten Pasta
Servings
4
servingsPrep time
30
minutesCooking time
15
minutesShortcrust pastry is characterized by its brittle and delicate consistency, which makes it ideal for making pie bases. Generally, it is made up of flour, fat (butter or margarine) and water. The correct proportion of these ingredients is crucial to achieving the desired texture. Shortcrust pastry is often pre-baked before being used in filled pies to ensure it remains crisp.
Ingredients
250g wheat flour
125g cold butter, cut into cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
60ml ice water (approximately)
Directions
- Make sure the butter is very cold, cut into cubes.
- Place the flour in a large bowl and add the salt.
- Add the butter cubes to the flour.
- Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until it has a coarse crumb texture.
- Add the ice water little by little, mixing gently, until the dough starts to come together. Add only as much as needed to form a cohesive dough.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface.
- Knead gently until it forms a ball. Avoid over-handling to maintain the crumbly texture.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This cooling time helps relax the gluten and solidify the fat, resulting in a more crumbly dough.
- Roll out the dough with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface.
- Line a pie dish with the dough and poke small holes in the bottom with a fork.
- Pre-bake the dough in a preheated oven at 180°C for approximately 15 minutes, or until it is lightly golden.
