Shortcrust Pastry Shell - Step By Step

Shortcrust pastry can be used for savoury pies, tarts, quiches and flans. Classic examples include shepherds pie, quiche Lorraine, char-grilled vegetable tart or cheese and asparagus flan for vegetarians. Shortcrust pastry does not puff up as it contains no leavening agent.
In the following recipe and step by step pictures I demonstrate how to make a shortcrust pastry shell from scratch using just five common ingredients.


Ingredients
500g Flour
200g Butter
1 Egg
50ml Water
salt





Method
Part 1
Sieve the flour and a pinch of salt into a basin.
Add the butter to the flour and with clean hands, rub the butter into the flour.

When all of the lumps are gone, the mixture should look grainy in texture.

Add the egg and a dash of water and mix them in. Most shortcrust recipes do not contain egg but I find it makes it stronger without being tougher.

If the mixture is not wet enough, add a little more water until it forms a ball of dough. Use as little water as possible. Do not knead it.
Overworking the dough elongates the gluten strands, creating a product that is chewy, as opposed to 'short' and crumbly.

Flatten the dough into a disc and rest it in the refrigerator for at least half an hour, but preferably an hour or more.
This allows the starch cells to swell, preventing shrinkage when baking.
At this point the dough can be stored in the refrigerator for several days.

Part 2
Dust the work space with flour and place the dough in the centre.
Using a rolling pin or a bottle, roll the dough from the centre outwards until it is an eight millimeter thick sheet.
Grease and flour a flan ring, or a pie dish. First rub a small amount of butter, margarine or oil around the inside, then put a table spoon of flour in and shake it about, then shake out the excess flour.

Gently lift the sheet of pastry onto the rolling pin and drape it centrally over the flan tin.
Pat the pastry down on the base and sides and then trim off the excess pastry.

Prick the base with a fork to prevent air bubbles forming underneath.
Bake at 180°c for approximately 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven when the pie shell is firm, but without browning.
The pie shell may be used immediately or stored in a cool dark place, but do not refrigerate it.