Homemade Short Crust Pastry Recipe
This simple short crust pastry is a delicious mix of flour and butter. Try it out and you will be amazed at the speed at which it gets done!
Ingredients
8 oz. flour
1/4-tspn. salt
4 oz. butter
cold water
Directions
Sift flour and salt.
Cut butter into small pieces and rub it lightly into the flour with the fingertips until the mixture looks like bread- crumbs.
Then add just sufficient very cold water to make a dry dough, mixing it in with a knife.
Lightly flour a board and rolling pin and roll out the pastry, being careful not to put any weight on the rolling pin.
Do not knead or handle the dough more than is absolutely necessary, and always roll the dough in the same direction.
The thickness is a matter of taste, but the pastry should never be more than 1/4" thick, or there is a danger of the outside burning before the inside is cooked.
Trimmings can be gathered together in layers, without kneading or pressure and lightly rolled out again.
For a fruit or jam tart on a plate: Line a greased pie-plate with short pastry, trimming around the edges.
Put in fruit or jam cold, top with another layer of pastry.
Brush with milk and sprinkle lightly with sugar.
For a Flan Case: Grease the flan tin, or dish, and sprinkle it lightly with flour, then line with short pastry.
Trim edges.
Put a piece of greaseproof paper inside the flan with a little rice on it.
This is known as 'baking blind'.
Cook in a moderate oven (400° F) until the pastry begins to brown.
Remove the rice and paper and return to oven for a few minutes.
The case is now ready for filling.
Cut butter into small pieces and rub it lightly into the flour with the fingertips until the mixture looks like bread- crumbs.
Then add just sufficient very cold water to make a dry dough, mixing it in with a knife.
Lightly flour a board and rolling pin and roll out the pastry, being careful not to put any weight on the rolling pin.
Do not knead or handle the dough more than is absolutely necessary, and always roll the dough in the same direction.
The thickness is a matter of taste, but the pastry should never be more than 1/4" thick, or there is a danger of the outside burning before the inside is cooked.
Trimmings can be gathered together in layers, without kneading or pressure and lightly rolled out again.
For a fruit or jam tart on a plate: Line a greased pie-plate with short pastry, trimming around the edges.
Put in fruit or jam cold, top with another layer of pastry.
Brush with milk and sprinkle lightly with sugar.
For a Flan Case: Grease the flan tin, or dish, and sprinkle it lightly with flour, then line with short pastry.
Trim edges.
Put a piece of greaseproof paper inside the flan with a little rice on it.
This is known as 'baking blind'.
Cook in a moderate oven (400° F) until the pastry begins to brown.
Remove the rice and paper and return to oven for a few minutes.
The case is now ready for filling.
