How to Make Perfect Shortcrust by Hand or Machine

Written by
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.
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Elaine Lemm
Updated 06/02/19
Pie made with shortcrust
The Spruce
  • Total: 15 mins
  • Prep: 15 mins
  • Cook: 0 mins
  • Yield: 8 servings or 1 tart
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
152 Calories
13g Fat
8g Carbs
1g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 servings or 1 tart
Amount per serving
Calories 152
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g 17%
Saturated Fat 8g 38%
Cholesterol 30mg 10%
Sodium 215mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 8g 3%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Protein 1g
Calcium 27mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

There really is no need to be afraid of making shortcrust pastry. The pastry can be made either by hand or with a food processor. Shortcrust pastry is easy to make and it is one of the most versatile pastries as it can be used for both savory and sweet dishes.

Shortcrust pastry is nothing more than a mixture of flour, usually plain flour or all-purpose, as it is known in the US, and a fat, either butter, lard, or a mixture of both. These are bound together with either cold water or with egg for a richer pastry. See tips for making a successful shortcrust pastry. This recipe is for 10 ounces or 300 grams of pastry. If you are not sure how much pastry to make, check the pastry calculator.

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Watch Now: Perfect Shortcrust Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 cups/200 grams plain flour or all-purpose flour (see tip below)
  • Pinch of salt
  • 4 ounces/110 grams butter (cubed or an equal mix of butter and lard)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons water (very cold)

Steps to Make It

Handmade Method

  1. Gather the ingredients

    Perfect Shortcrust ingredients
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  2. Place the flour, butter, and salt into a large, clean bowl.

    Handmade Perfect Shortcrust Recipe
    The Spruce

  3. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, working as quickly as possible to prevent the dough becoming warm.

    Handmade Perfect Shortcrust Recipe
     The Spruce

  4. Add the water to the mixture. Using a cold knife, stir until the dough binds together. Add more cold water a teaspoon at a time if the mixture is too dry.

    Handmade Perfect Shortcrust Recipe
     The Spruce

  5. Wrap the dough in clingfilm (plastic wrap) and chill for a minimum of 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes.

    Handmade Perfect Shortcrust Recipe
     The Spruce

  6. You're done!

Food Processor Method

If you have a food processor, it can speed up pastry making. Some prefer to use a processor as the pulse avoids the over handling of the mixture which can result in hard, dry pastry—a common fault. 

  1. Place the flour, butter, and salt into the bowl of the processor.

    Food Processor Perfect Shortcrust Recipe
     The Spruce

  2. Using only the pulse setting, pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Avoid over mixing if you can.

    Food Processor Perfect Shortcrust Recipe
     The Spruce

  3. Through the funnel on the top of the processor, slowly add the water a little at a time until the mixture comes together in a ball.

    Food Processor Perfect Shortcrust Recipe
     The Spruce

  4. Wrap the pastry in Clingfilm/plastic wrap and chill as above in the hand-made method.

    Food Processor Perfect Shortcrust Recipe
    The Spruce

  5. You're done!

Tips

  • Prepare Your Equipment and Ingredients: Gather together all your equipment and ingredients and weigh all of the ingredients. Preparing in this way means not only do you check you have everything, but also making the pastry is much quicker and easier with everything to hand.
  • Keep Your Hands Cool: There is an old saying that cold hands make good pastry. The golden rule of making shortcrust pastry is keep the ingredients, the bowl and the hands as cool as possible. When the pastry mixture becomes too warm the end result is a greasy and/or heavy dull finished pastry crust. Run your hands under cold water before starting to mix pastry.
  • Keep Your Ingredients Cool: If the butter or lard warms up too much (on a hot day, for example), then pop it in the refrigerator from time to time.
  • Use a Cool Work Surface: Roll pastry on a cool surface (a marble slab is perfect), dusted with flour.
  • Work Quickly: Don't dawdle when making pastry. Working quickly makes lighter pastry as the lard or butter doesn't have time to get too warm, making the pastry greasy and heavy. This is another good reason to make sure you have assembled all your ingredients and equipment.
  • Rest, Rest, and Rest Again: Once the pastry dough is made it must be wrapped in plastic wrap or grease-proof paper and rested in the refrigerator for a minimum of 15 minutes. Resting allows time for the gluten (proteins) in the dough to relax. If you attempt to roll the dough as soon as you have mixed it, it is like trying to roll a sheet of elastic. It will roll, but seconds later shrinks back. Likewise, once rolled, rest the pastry again. If you cook pastry that has been rolled and not rested it will shrink in the oven.
  • Use a Hot Oven: Always put pastry into a preheated, hot oven (425 F / 220 C / Gas 7). If the oven is too cool the pastry will melt rather than cook.
  • Keep the Bottom Crisp: No one wants a soggy bottom when their pastry is cooked. To ensure your tart or pie is crisp, place a heavy baking sheet in the oven while it is heating up, then place the tart or pie directly on the heated tray.