Sweet shortcrust pastry
Serves 6-8
You will need:
● 200g plain flour
● 1 tablespoon icing sugar
● 100g chilled butter, cubed
● A pinch of salt
● 1 large egg, whisked with 1 tablespoon of water
You will also need:
● 23cm diameter loose-bottomed tart tin or a 20 x 30cm Swiss roll tin
1 Place the flour, the icing sugar, the butter and the salt in a food processor and whiz briefly until the butter is in small lumps. Add half the beaten egg and continue to whiz for another few seconds or until the mixture is just starting to come together. Bear in mind that prolonged processing will only toughen the pastry, so once the dough comes together there’s no need to knead it. You might need to add a little more egg, but not too much as the mixture should be just moist enough to come together. Reserve any egg to use for later.
2 If making by hand, rub the butter into the flour, the icing sugar and the salt until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Then, using your hands, add just enough egg to bring it together. Reserve any leftover egg to use later.
3 With your hands, flatten out the ball of dough about 1.5cm thick, into a round if it’s going into a round tin, or a rectangle if going into a Swiss roll tin. Place on a plate and cover with an upturned bowl and leave in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
4 Preheat the oven to 180C (160 fan), 350F, Gas 4.
5 When you are ready to roll out the pastry, remove it from the fridge and place it on a work surface that you’ve dusted with flour. Dust some flour over the pastry and using a rolling pin, roll the pastry out to approximately 3-4mm thick. If the pastry has been in the fridge for more than 20 minutes, it might be necessary to let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes first. Make sure to keep it in the shape of the tin that you’re using.
6 While you’re rolling the pastry you want to ensure that it’s not sticking to the work surface so keep sliding a palette knife or a fish slice underneath, and if necessary move the pastry to the side and dust with a little more flour. When the pastry is just about 3-4mm thick and large enough to cover the base and sides of your chosen tart tin, dust off any excess flour and place your rolling pin on top. Now starting at the end away from you roll the pastry over the rolling pin towards you, then continue to roll so that the pastry is rolled around the pin — this makes it easy to transfer into the tin.
7 Once the pastry is in the tin, press it into the edges at the base and, using your thumb, cut the pastry along the edge of the tin for a neat finish.
8 Now prick over the base with a fork and if the pastry has got warm while working with it, then pop it into the fridge or freezer for a few minutes before baking. It can also be covered and chilled for 24 hours or frozen for a few weeks if you wish, for convenience.
9 To blind bake the pastry, cut a piece of baking parchment larger than the tin and scrunch it up in a ball, then Un-scrunch it — this makes it more pliable for putting into the tin. Lay the paper in the base of the tin and coming up the sides, higher than the pastry. Fill with baking beans or dried pulses, then place in the oven and blind bake for 35-40 minutes or until the pastry feels dry in the base. Remove from the oven, take out the baking beans and paper, brush the base of the pastry with any leftover beaten egg, then cook in the oven for another 3-4 minutes or until light golden. Remove from the oven and cool slightly for a few minutes before pouring in your chosen filling. ●