There’s something really satisfying about making your own pastry, of which there are many different types, but one of the simplest to do is Shortcrust Pastry. All you have to do is stick to a couple of basic rules and you’ll be able to make this no problem, and it’s perfect for savoury pie, pasties, savoury tarts, and quiches to name but a few. This recipe will be perfect for a fairly large pie, but if you need to have more pastry or less pastry, all you need to do is adapt the recipe by using the first rule of making pastry. Don’t talk about making pastr- oh… wait, sorry. The first rule of making pastry is half fat to flour. So always make sure you have half the amount of fat, whether you’re using butter, lard, vegetable fat or a combination of fats, to the amount of flour. If you’re making your pastry with lard, you’ll find it’ll have a slightly shorter, flakier texture.
The second rule of making pastry is cold. Make sure your butter or lard is very cold, and the water that you add is ice cold and when you handle it, make sure you hands are as cold as possible and preferably roll it on a surface that is cold, like marble. You don’t want your pastry to get too warm and fall apart. On the flip side, you don’t want it so hard that you can’t roll it out, so leave it to sit out of the fridge for about an hour before you want to use it.
Savoury Shortcrust Pastry
Print RecipeIngredients
- 600g Plain Flour
- 10g Salt
- 150g Lard
- 150g Unsalted Butter
- 4 Tbsp Ice Cold Water
Instructions
Add the flour to a bowl, or a stand mixer, along with the salt.
Cut the lard into small cubes and add to the flour. If you're not using a stand mixer, then gently rub the lard into the flour using your fingertips until the lard is fully incorporated into the flour. Work quickly so that the lard doesn't melt between your fingers. If you're using a stand mixer, then put it on a medium speed until the same thing has happened.
Next, cut the butter into cubes and repeat the process, rubbing with your fingertips or with the stand mixer on a medium speed. Once done, the mixture should resemble fine breadcrumbs.
Now, either mixing with a wooden spoon or with the stand mixer still running, add the ice cold water in a tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together and leaves the bowl clean. If it comes together before you've used all the water, that's fine. Likewise, if you use all the water and the dough hasn't come together, then add another tablespoon at a time until it does.
Remove the pastry from the bowl, and roll it into a fat sausage shape and wrap it in cling film and put in the fridge to chill until you need to use it. It's best to chill for a minimum of 1 hour, but the longer the better. Be sure to remove the pastry an hour before you want to use it so it's easier to roll.
