Shortcrust Pastry

Rich shortcrust pastry can be used for pies, quiches, tarts and tartlets. To sweeten, add 1 Tbsp caster sugar to the flour. After making, chill for 20 minutes before rolling out and lining into a flan dish or tartlet tins. Chill again until firm.

To make in a food processor, quickly mix flour and butter together, then pour in water and egg and mix only until the mixture forms large clumps. Tip dough onto a clean bench and knead together.

Ingredients

• 225g standard flour
• Pinch of salt
• 170g unsalted butter, cubed and softened
• 1 egg yolk mixed with 4 Tbsp chilled water if making pastry by hand, or 3 Tbsp if making in a food processor

Method

1 Put flour, a pinch of salt and butter in a wide bowl and cut the butter into the flour using two knives or a pastry cutter until the butter resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Shake the bowl from time to time to bring the larger pieces of butter to the top.

2 Pour in mixed egg yolk and water in one go and quickly mix quickly to a stiff dough. Knead gently until smooth.

3 Roll into a round on a lightly floured surface, dusting the rolling pin with flour to prevent sticking. After each roll, give the dough a quarter-turn. This will keep the dough in a round, making it easier to line into round flan rings

4 Roll the pastry around the pin to move it into the flan ring without stretching it. Gently unroll pastry over flan ring. Ease pastry into flan ring with the fingertips. Roll off excess pastry with the pin.

5 To bake blind, line pastry with tin foil then fill with baking beans and bake for 15-20 minutes, then remove foil and beans and carry on with the recipe– this will help the pastry cook through on the bottom and prevent a soggy-bottomed pie.