How to make shortcrust pastry
Back in the day, my gran and mum always made their own pastry. These days when I ask if someone made their own pastry I get one of two responses. “I don’t have time, the supermarket frozen option is convenient” or they look at me as if making pastry was some advanced, complex cooking craft. Well I’m not a wizard or as Gandalf said “a conjurer of cheap tricks” but I can make pastry and it’s dead easy. It generally tastes superior to that pallid frozen block you buy and it’s far more economical.
So in this post I’m going to show you how to make you own pastry and you’ll see how easy (and quick) it really is. Literally! Why? Because I have made my first Crumble Cam video. Don’t laugh, it’s a first attempt and I’m sure I’ll get better, once I master the editing suite and doing voice overs. In fact I’m sure as soon as this gets out I’ll be getting a call from someone famous like Scorsese, Tarantino or Peter Jackson.
Any way, the recipe is for shortcrust pastry, which is just the ticket for savoury pies and flans. The measurements will give you enough to make two flan bases or one pie (base and top), or about 5 Cornish pasties.
I hope you like the video and I hope that it gives you enough confidence to have a crack yourself. If you’re making pastry in Australia, make sure you chill the ingredients. When it’s really hot, I put the butter in the freezer and the mixing bowl in the fridge 20 mins before starting. Sounds extreme, but keeping the temperature down helps ensure you have light pastry as opposed to stick, leaden crust.
Ingredients
- 250g unsalted butter
- 400g plain flour
- Pinch of salt
- 100ml(ish) of ice cold water – you may find you need a little more water.
Must dash, phones ringing, it’s probably Clint Eastwood.
About the Author
Gareth Englishman in Sydney loves a whisky, pies and all things savoury. Digital Marketer by day, cook the rest of the time. Amateur writer, photographer & aspiring anthropologists.
