Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

This is a tutorial on how to make shortcrust pastry. Here I am using a big 30cm tart tin. But this recipe works for any size, any shape tart tins.

Cube your butter into chunks and place on a piece of baking paper and place in the freezer until frozen.

Place flour and salt in a food processor or blender. Pulse about 10x, until coarse sand remains.

This is what it should look like, coarse sand and a yellow tinge.

Pour coarse sand mixture onto a bench and add icing sugar to the mound.

Using your fingers swirl them around the mound to form a well.

Separate your eggs, and set the egg whites aside. We will only be needing the yolks for this recipe.

Pour your egg yolks into the mound.

Grate some lemon or lime rind into the well.

Using your hands, begin working the yolks into the crumb mixture.

Mix until you have a smooth log of pastry like this. Wrap in glad wrap and place in the fridge to rest for at least 1 hour.

When the pastry has rested for at least 1 hour, cut the log in half and place it on a floured benchtop.

Allow it to sit for 10 minutes (this just brings it back to room temperature)Roll our the pastry to about 5 cm thick.

With melted butter and a pastry brush, begin greasing your tart pan.

For extra insurance, grease with flour as well. Here I am just greasing the fluted sides of the pan with flour. Roll your pastry over your greased pan.

To get that nice tart crimped finish, make sure you use your knuckle and make sure the pastry is in the corner.

This is how your tart should look before baking. Leave a lot of pastry overhang on the edges of the pan, this ensures you will get a clean finish.

Cut out a big circle that will cover the bottom of your tart pan and sides.

Prick the tart bottom and sides with a fork. Lay your circle on the tart shell.

Pour your beans, rice or baking beads into the pan. Bake in a preheated oven 200 degrees for 10mins.

​Remove baking beans and paper.

Turn the oven down to 175 degrees and bake the shell until the bottom of the shell feels firm.

Ta da, that is a base recipe and tutorial on how to make a sweet shortcrust pastry tart shell!

Recipe:

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

4 cups flour

zest of a lemon

pinch salt

4 egg yolks (I needed 6)

250g cold butter cubed.

Method:

Place your flour and cubed cold butter in a blender or food processor and blitz till it resembles coarse sand.

Place the mixture onto a bench and dump the powdered sugar on top.

Make a well with your hands and add the zest and the salt to the mixture.

Add 4 egg yolks to the well and begin to mix with your hands until you form a smooth dough.

Wrap the dough in glad wrap and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

There you go babes x