Shortcrust Pastry
From Ars Cookbook
Submitted by BajanDude
A fundemental pastry used for tarts and pies.
Ingredients
- 500g plain flour
- 125g butter or margarine (chilled, but soft, and in small cubes/slivers)
- 125g lard (chilled, but soft, and in small cubes/slivers)
- Pinch of salt
- Cold water (about 4 tbsp)
Directions
- Add the salt to the flour and blend with a fork or mixer to distribute thoroughly.
- Rub the fat into the flour.
- Slowly add the water, blending the mix all of the time (like making bread).
- Once a ball has been achieved, and it sticks together without being wet, or falling apart easily, cover and chill in the fridge for 15 - 30 minutes.
- Freeze or use (or eat if you're a raw pastry fan).
Notes
The rubbing of fat into flour should be done either with finger-tips (heat is bad), a dedicated pastry device (I can't even describe one of these) or an electric mixer (hand or stand). You should end up with a 'heavy' flour, where all of the fat has been distributed amongst the flour. Make sure you lift the mixture as you do this to introduce air into the blend.
Don't over knead the ball of pastry - this will make it hard.
The 15 minute rest period is mandatory - it allows the bonds between the molecules to form, and ensures an easier rolling process.
When rolling the pastry out for use (ie, in a tart), use a lightly floured surface, and a lightly floured rolling pin. Don't roll back and forth, that just upsets the pastry - as does re-rolling.
