shortcrust

Learn how to make perfect shortcrust pastry every time with our easy recipe. For best results, make sure the butter is cold

Basic Shortcrust Pastry

plain flour

butter,diced

salt

Basic shortcrust pastry

<a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/test-best-flour-shakers">Sift</a> 225g plain flour into a large <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/test-best-rolling-pins">bowl</a>, add 100g diced butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Stir in a pinch of salt, then add 2-3 tbsp water and <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/top-five-food-mixers">mix</a> to a firm dough.

Knead the dough briefly and gently on a floured surface.

Wrap in cling film and chill while preparing the filling.

A tasty apple pie guaranteed to warm the hearts and stomachs of anyone lucky enough to try it. This pie can be served warm or cool.

Caramel custard-filled apple pie

self-raising flour

cornflour

butter, chilled, chopped

caster sugar

egg, separated

Icing sugar mixture,

Whipped cream, to serve

granny smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into thin wedges

cinnamon

lemon juice

milk

brown sugar, firmly packed

custard powder

vanilla extract

How To Make A Quick Basic Pie Crust, Shortcrust Pastry. Sweet or savory. Suitable for freezing before or after baking.

How to Make Shortcrust Pastry

oz flour

Tablespoons Powdered Sugar, if making sweet pastry

Teaspoon Salt, if making savory pastry

egg,

water

Heat oven to 180 C, 375 F, Gas...

Heat oven to 180 C, 375 F, Gas 5 (if the recipe requires BAKING BLIND the pastry)

Mix sieved flour, and sugar or salt (if...

Mix sieved flour, and sugar or salt (if using) in a large bowl. Add cubes of butter.

Rub in fat using the tips of your...

Rub in fat using the tips of your fingers until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.

Aerate the flour by lifting (with your fingertips)...

Aerate the flour by lifting (with your fingertips) the mixture above the bowl and allowing to fall back through the fingers.

Once the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, make a well...

Once the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, make a well in the middle and start by adding the beaten egg and 1 tablespoon of cold water.

Using a metal round-bladed knife, stir the mixture...

Using a metal round-bladed knife, stir the mixture and combine well before adding a further tablespoon of water.

Once the mixture starts to go lumpy, use...

Once the mixture starts to go lumpy, use your hand to combine the mixture. Try not to handle the dough too much as it will lose its lightness and crumbliness once cooked.

Keep combining with your hand, adding a tiny...

Keep combining with your hand, adding a tiny bit of water as you go if necessary. Don't worry at this stage if you think it's too dry. Your instinct is to add lots more water, but trust me, DON'T! The more you mix it, the dough will come together. Be patient!

The ultimate goal is to have the mixture...

The ultimate goal is to have the mixture come together into a ball, your bowl should be completely cleaned from pastry, (i.e. it is not sticky and gluey), and the dough should be dry enough it doesn't stick to your hands, and quite stiff.

Every brand of flour is different and absorbs...

Every brand of flour is different and absorbs liquid at different amounts, so it is difficult to be precise with how much water you will need so add a little at a time.

Once your dough is ready you can place...

Once your dough is ready you can place in the fridge for 20 minutes to rest, or just continue with your recipe for what you are cooking.

Shape the dough into a ball, or whatever...

Shape the dough into a ball, or whatever shape your dish is. Roll lightly and try not to 'overwork' or roll too much as this will damage the structure of the pastry and you will lose the 'shortness' or crumbliness, plus all that air you were so busy incorporating when you were rubbing in the fat! Roll out the pastry thinly, around 1/2 cm in thickness.

To avoid too much rolling, handling and shaping,...

To avoid too much rolling, handling and shaping, have your flan dish handy and place it on top of your pastry to check for size.

Cooking times will vary depending on what you...

Cooking times will vary depending on what you are using the pastry for. As a rough guide, 8-10 minutes for something small, 20-35 minutes for larger pies, or until the pastry takes on a nice golden brown color. Follow the instructions on the recipe you are making!

Don’t be put off by making pastry – this one’s foolproof.

Sweet potato and pancetta tart

kumara, peeled,

(70 grams) eggs

(80 milliliters) pure (thin) cream

(80 milliliters) milk

tbsp grated gruyere cheese

nutmeg

pancetta

wild rocket leaves

(150 grams) plain flour, sifted

chilled unsalted butter, chopped

tbsp chilled sparkling mineral water

Making suet shortcrust pastry from scratch is satisfying and ideal for this king-sized chicken pie with sausage, sage and onion

Chicken & stuffing picnic pie

chicken breasts

tbsp oil

pack

sausage

butter

light suet

Season the chicken breasts. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a high heat and brown the chicken very quickly on each side – you might need to fry these in batches. Don’t worry about cooking the chicken all the way through. Set aside.

Set aside 2 tbsp of the stuffing mixture. Make up the rest using half the amount of water that the packet says.

Make the pastry by tipping the flour into a food processor with 1 tsp salt. Add the butter and suet, and whizz to fine crumbs (or rub in with your fingers if you don’t have a food processor). With the motor running (or stir with a fork), dribble in 150ml cold water until the pastry just comes together. Tip onto a lightly floured surface and bring together into a dough. Cover one-third while you roll out the rest to line an oiled, 20cm round springform or loose-bottomed tin.

Spoon the stuffing into the base of the pie, packing down well and smoothing the top. Arrange the chicken pieces over, cutting to fit like a jigsaw puzzle to fill in any gaps. Squeeze sausagemeat from skins and press evenly over the top, then scatter over the reserved dry stuffing. Roll out the reserved pastry until big enough to cover the pie with an overlap. Brush the edge of the pie with egg, then lift on the pastry lid and press edges to seal before trimming and rolling down excess to thoroughly seal.

Decorate by crimping the edges or pressing them with the prongs of a fork, then cut a little hole in the middle of the pastry to let steam escape. Brush all over with more egg (don’t throw the leftover egg away).

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and bake for 50 mins. Brush all over again with egg and cook for another 10 mins. Cool in the tin, then thickly slice for a picnic or lunch. Or wrap well in cling film and freeze for up to 3 months.

Learn how to make sweet shortcrust pastry. You'll be surprised how easy it is, then you can make all sorts of desserts like our apple and blackberry pies

Sweet shortcrust pastry

unsalted butter

icing sugar

Put 150g plain flour and 75g unsalted butter in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs.

Mix in 50g icing sugar and a pinch of salt followed by 1 egg yolk. If the pastry feels too dry to form a dough, add 1 tbsp water. Shape the dough into a ball, flatten it out into a disc, wrap it in cling film, then chill for at least 30 mins before using in your recipes. You could try using it to make our apple & blackberry pies.

Looking for an easy and delicious way to serve a lot of people at once? You can't beat these egg and bacon pie that is great for brunch, lunch or dinner.

Egg, bacon and vegetable pie recipe

olive oil

piece kent pumpkin, peeled, cut into 1-2 cm pieces

middles bacon rashers, finely chopped

leek, thinly sliced

garlic cloves, crushed

tsp thyme leaves,

puff pastry, just thawed

eggs

grape tomatoes, halved

https://resources.newscdn.com.au/cs/video/vjs/stable/build/index.html?id=5348771529001-6082777595001&=domain=kidspot

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This recipe can be made the day ahead, just reheat it in a moderate oven for about 5 minutes before serving.

Goat's Cheese and Asparagus Tarts recipe

shortcrust pastry

asparagus

garlic

thyme

150 g goat's cheese

eggs lightly beaten

cream

salt and pepper

http://resources.newscdn.com.au/cs/video/vjs/stable/build/index.html?id=5348771529001-6030942678001&=domain=br

5348771529001-6030942678001

Quick and easy quiches the family will love.

Mini Quiches recipe

bacon

mushrooms

g cheese grated

parsley

salt and pepper *to taste

Step 1

Finely dice bacon, mushrooms and onion, then fry in a pan until bacon is cooked and onion is tender. Cool mixture.

Step 2

Line tart tins with small circles of pastry and prick with a fork.

Step 3

Spoon cooled mixture into each pastry tin and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Step 4

Beat eggs and milk in a jug until combined, season with salt and pepper, then pour over mixture in pastry cases and sprinkle with parsley flakes.

Step 5

Bake in a hot oven for 5 minutes, then reduce to moderate oven for a further 10 minutes, depending on the size of tart tins

http://resources.newscdn.com.au/cs/video/vjs/stable/build/index.html?id=5348771529001-6030880279001&=domain=br

5348771529001-6030880279001

Pasta Frolla is the Italian version of sweet shortcrust pastry, which is a staple Italian pastry dough made simply with flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. This versatile dough can be used to make a variety of delicious baked goods, such as tarts, cookies, tartlets, and more. It has a lovely crumbly, buttery texture that is great with either fruit or cream fillings.

Pasta Frolla: Italian Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

all-purpose flour

sugar

egg (large, room temperature)

ice water (plus more as needed)

Add the flour, sugar, salt and cold butter to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times until the butter is broken up into bits the size of peas.

Add the egg, vanilla zest and water, then pulse 5-6 more times until the mixture comes together and resembles coarse sand and holds together when pressed with your fingers. Add more water 1 tablespoon at a time if needed.

Transfer to a work surface and use your hands to gently knead a few times until it forms a ball. Be careful not to over work the dough or it will become tough.

Split the dough into two pieces, form into a disc and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days. Freeze for up to 3 months for longer storage.

When ready to use, remove from the refrigerator, then dust a work surface with a little bit of flour. Place the unwrapped dough on the work surface, then dust it with a little more flour.

Dust a rolling pin with flour, then roll it out to slightly larger than your pie

This is what every steak &amp; ale/beef &amp; onion pie dreams about growing up to become. The short ribs are slowly cooked until fall-apart tender with plenty of caramelized shallots and beer. The pastry is buttery, flakey and tender. (It also freezes well so definitely make several batches of this for a rainy day).

BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIB PIE

flour

ml milk

kg beef short ribs

shallots (halved)

rosemary

bay leaves

star anise pod

500 ml lager

chicken stock

g corn flour

Salt, pepper and red wine vinegar

Combine the cold butter with your flour, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Rub the butter into the flour until the butter has been broken down into pea-sized pieces.

Add almost all of your milk to the dough and knead until it comes together. Add the remaining milk as necessary while kneading to form a workable dough.

Once the dough has just come together, split into two separate pieces and shape each piece into a disk. Wrap the disk with cling film and store it in the fridge for 20 minutes.

(This can be done up to 3 days before making the pies)

Preheat your oven to 150C

Cut the shallots in half through the root and peel. Peel and thinly slice your garlic.

Bundle your bay leaves, rosemary, thyme and star anise together using a piece of kitchen twine.

Cut the beef short rib into large pieces, using the bones as a guide. (do not remove the bones)

Place a heavy-bottomed pan or dutch oven over high heat. Once hot, add a splash of neutral oil. Season the beef with salt and brown well for at least 3-4 minutes on each side before turning them over. Work in batches to avoid crowding the pan.

Once all the beef has been browned and removed from the pan deglaze with 150ml of beer and scrape off any browned bits. Allow the beer to reduce slightly and pour over the reserved beef.

Wipe out the bottom of the pan and return to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of neutral oil and place the shallots in, flat sides down. Season lightly with salt and allow the shallots to char for 5 minutes. Once lightly blackened, Remove from the pan and reduce the heat to low.

Add your sliced garlic and cook for 2 minutes while stirring or until lightly coloured. Add the beef to the pan along with the shallots. Add the bundle of herbs, the rest of the beer and all of the chicken stock. Stir to evenly distribute the ingredients.

Top up with water if necessary so that the beef is mostly submerged in liquid. Place the pot into the preheated oven and allow it to cook for 3 hours.

Check on the pot every hour to check the level of liquid in the pot as well as to give things a stir and a taste for good measure.

Once the beef pulls away from the bone with a fork and the liquid has mostly reduced, remove the pot from the oven and allow it to come to room temperature

Once the beef has come to room temperature, remove the bones from the braise and shred the meat using a fork or your hands.

Place the pot onto the stove over medium heat until the liquid has mostly reduced.

Combine 30ml of corn starch with 30 ml of water and add to the pot. Bring the contents of the pot up to a boil and stir until the mixture has thickened.

Reduce the temperature to low and season to taste with salt, pepper and a few drops of red wine vinegar.

Reserve your meat mixture in the fridge until it is completely cool.

FOR THE BEEF

Take one of your pastry disks and roll it out into a circle roughly ½ cm thick. Place your pie pan upside down onto the pastry and cut a  circle just wider than the circumference of your pie pan.

Store the disk in the fridge on a flat tray lined with baking paper and covered in cling film. Save the dough cuttings.

Roll the other disk out to the same thickness and lay the pastry into your pie pan.

Shape a small ball of your previously saved dough cuttings and lightly flour it. Use this to gently press the pastry into the edges of the pie pan.

Cut the excess pastry hanging over the lip of the pie pan. Shape into a ball and reserve the excess dough in the fridge, wrapped in cling film. This can be used to add decoration to your finished pie. The dough can rest in the fridge like this anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight as long as it remains covered.

FINISHING THE PASTRY

Preheat the oven to 200C

Place your meat mixture into the base of your pie and flatten lightly. Top with the other disk of dough and crimp the edges shut using a fork or cover the edges with pastry decoration.

Cut slits into the top of the dough or create a hole in the middle of the pie for steam to escape.

Beat 1 egg in a small bowl and brush the mixture over the surface of the pie, getting in all of the folds in the dough. Optionally sprinkle with finishing salt for texture.

Place into a preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown, checking and rotating the pie halfway through cooking. If spots are colouring too quickly before others, tent them loosely with foil while the rest of the pie cooks.

Top 11 shortcrust recipes from across the web

The most viewed shortcrust recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Basic Shortcrust Pastry

Caramel custard-filled apple pie

How to Make Shortcrust Pastry

Sweet potato and pancetta tart

Chicken & stuffing picnic pie

Sweet shortcrust pastry

Egg, bacon and vegetable pie recipe

Goat's Cheese and Asparagus Tarts r...

Mini Quiches recipe

Pasta Frolla: Italian Sweet Shortcr...

BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIB PIE

Top 11 shortcrust recipes from across the web

The most viewed shortcrust recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Basic Shortcrust Pastry

Caramel custard-filled apple pie

How to Make Shortcrust Pastry

Sweet potato and pancetta tart

Chicken & stuffing picnic pie

Sweet shortcrust pastry

Egg, bacon and vegetable pie recipe

Goat's Cheese and Asparagus Tarts r...

Mini Quiches recipe

Pasta Frolla: Italian Sweet Shortcr...

BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIB PIE

The most viewed shortcrust recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine