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This Sweet Shortcrust Pastry Recipe is easy to follow and will help you create an array of amazing tarts and pies.
Forget the frozen stuff!
Follow the steps and photos below to create tender, buttery tart shells that will hold your favourite filling.
This recipe makes 24 mini tarts or 2 large tarts.
The ingredient list: Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
Shortcrust pastry is characterised by its half fat to flour ratio and the absence of a leavening agent such as baking powder. Here, we use 125 grams of butter and 230 grams of plain flour.
Icing sugar is also added, to give this pastry its sweetness.
Instead of water, we’ve used lemon juice and an egg yolk here. Both assist with flavour and there’s also a bit of science behind it, too.
The lemon juice supposedly keeps the gluten strands from getting too long, creating a more tender result. Meanwhile, the egg yolk is said to add fat as well as natural lecithin, which helps to bind the dough and make it more pliable dough.
The exact ingredient measurements can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Making your pastry
Take the butter from the fridge about half an hour before starting.
The first step in making this pastry is to beat the butter in a stand mixer for 1-2 minutes, then beat again with the icing sugar for another 1-2 minutes.
Next, put away the stand mixer and just stir through the egg yolk and lemon juice.
Fold in the sifted flour and salt.
If the mixture seems a little floury and dry still, add a little more of the lemon juice.
Then turn out the mixture onto a bench.
Knead the mixture lightly to form a ball.
Then wrap the ball in baking paper and place into the fridge for at least an hour. This will make it easier to work with and also prevents the pastry from shrinking during the baking process.
Once the mixture is chilled, break it into two pieces and roll our evenly on a lightly floured surface. You are aiming for a thickness of about 2-3mm.
To make mini tart cases, use an 8cm round cutter (fluted edges work well) and place rounds into ungreased muffin/cupcake tins.
Ever so gently, press the pastry down into the tin and then prick the base with a fork 3 times.
Place trays back into fridge to chill again for 10-20 minutes.
Place a paper patty pan into each tin and fill with pie weights or rice.
Bake for 8 minutes in a moderate oven and then remove patty pan and weights. Place back into oven and cook for another 2-4 minutes or until a light golden brown colour.
To make a larger tart case, roll half of the pastry back onto the floured rolling pin and use a spatula to lift the rest of the pastry form the bench.
Ease the pastry into the large tart tin and gently press the pastry into the tin, trimming the sides to fit.
Prick all over with a fork.
Place into fridge to chill for 10-20 minutes.
Next, place a large piece of baking paper into the tin and fill with pie weights or rice.
Bake for 12 minutes and then remove weights. Place back into oven and cook for another 2-4 minutes or until a light golden brown colour.
Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
Equipment
- kitchen mixer
Ingredients
- 125 grams butter
- 120 grams icing sugar (3/4 cup)
- 1 egg yolk
- 3-4 teaspoons lemon juice
- 230 grams plain flour (all purpose flour) (1 1/2 cups)
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Take butter from fridge and allow to sit for about 30 minutes.
- Chop butter into cubes and beat in a stand mixer on med-high for 1-2 minutes.
- Add icing sugar and mix on low speed until combined. Turn speed to med-high and beat again for 1-2 minutes or until mixture turns a pale colour.
- Add egg yolk and 3 teaspoons of lemon juice and combine with a spatula.
- Fold through sifted flour and salt. The mixture should all be a pale yellow colour with no dry of floury parts. If it seems too dry, add another teaspoon of lemon juice.
- Turn out mixture onto bench and knead lightly to form a ball. Wrap in baking paper and place into the fridge for at least one hour.
- Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celsius (fan-forced).
- Remove mixture from fridge and break into two pieces. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 3mm.
- To make mini tart cases, use an 8cm round cutter and place rounds into ungreased muffin/cupcake tins. Gently press into tin and then prick the base with a fork 3 times. Chill in the fridge for 10-20 minutes before placing a paper patty pan into each tin and fill with pie weights or rice. Bake for 8 minutes and then remove patty pan and weights. Place back into oven and cook for another 2-4 minutes or until a light golden brown colour.
- To make a larger tart case, roll half of the pastry back onto the floured rolling pin and use a spatula to lift the rest of the pastry form the bench. Place in large tart tin and gently press into tin, trimming sides to fit. Prick all over with a fork. Chill in the fridge for 10-20 minutes before placing a large piece if baking paper into the tin and fill with pie weights or rice. Bake for 12 minutes and then remove weights. Place back into oven and cook for another 2-4 minutes or until a light golden brown colour.