My Shortcrust pastry recipe makes it so easy to make shortcrust pastry at home. You only need 4 ingredients and it takes 10 minutes to create. Shortcrust pastry is perfect for galettes, pies and so much more.
There are situations where only basic shortcrust pastry pie will do. That’s why I love this shortcrust pastry recipe, it’s so quick to whip up and you don’t need to worry about making time to defrost your pre-rolled shortcrust pastry. If you looking for other ideas to use shortcurst pastry try making shortcrust pastry sausage rolls.
Why you’ll love this basic shortcrust pastry recipe
- This basic shortcrust pastry takes just 10 minutes to make and only 4 ingredients, what’s not to love.
- Shortcrust pastry is the perfect base for so many sweet treats, sweet shortcrust pastry makes for wonderful pies, desserts and even baked pastry swirls!
- I love homemade shortcrust pastry, I always forget to take the pre-made pastry out of the freezer so having a quick shortcrust pastry recipe I can just whip up is perfect!
- Shortcrust pastry is just as verstaile and yummy as puff pastry but quicker and easier to make at home.
Top Questions
How do you make shortcrust pastry better?
What is the best butter to use for pastry?
What temp do you cook shortcrust pastry?
Do you bake shortcrust pastry before filling?
Do you put egg in shortcrust pastry?
How do I make shortcrust pastry sweet?
Ingredients
For the full recipe and instructions scroll to the bottom of the page for the recipe card.
This recipe only calls for 4 basic ingredients, most of the time you won’t even need to go out and buy anything special for this shortcrust pastry recipe – you’ll probably have flour, eggs, butter and a pinch of salt in the cupboard.
Once the pastry is made you can let your imagination go wild about what to create!
FLOUR
For this shortcrust pastry you will need plain flour (all purpose flour). Plus extra for dusting the worktop.
BUTTER
I use unsalted butter for my recipe but you can use ready salted. The risk with using slated butter for shortcrust pastry is that you don’t know the amount of salt used so it could leave the finished dough being salty. Which is fine if you are making savoury dishes but might taste weird with sweet dishes.
WATER
You can use a fancy spring water for your recipe if you want but tap water works perfectly.
How to make Shortcrust pastry – step by step
Combine the butter and flour between your fingers until it comes together to make a breadcrumb texture.
Add the water bit by bit until your dough comes together and you can mould it into a round ball. The surface should be smooth.
Place in the fridge to rest for 30 mins wrapped in clingfilm. Roll and use for your next best recipe!
Top Tips
- Letting your pastry rest for at least 30 minutes creates a much better shortcrust pastry. As long as it’s wrapped well in cling film you can leave your sweet shortcrust pastry dough overnight to rest so it’s fresh and ready to be rolled out when you’re ready to bake. You might need to leave it out of the fridge for 10-15 minutes to get to a good rolling consistency.
- Using cool temperature butter is so much easier to bake with than cold fresh from the fridge butter. You want it to still be cold as your hands will warm the dough up as you work it.
- Use butter and not margarine.
- Don’t over work the dough as it comes together with the water. Once it’s a dough ball stop and place it in the fridge.
Serving Suggestions
You can use shortcrust pastry in so many recipes, have a few of my own at the bottom but you could also use this shortcrust pastry recipe as a base for:
Fruit Pies
Winterberry Galette – follow my recipe for Blackberry and Apple galette.
Cheese twists – grate the cheese, cut the pastry into strips and layer the cheese lightly over the pastry, twist on itself and bake. Enjoy warm.
Cheese and onion tart – use the shortcrust pastry recipe to make your shortcrust pastry base, then add your tart filling and bake. I love the classic flavours of cheese and onion but you could add roasted vegetables, and for putting try a chocolate tart. Or your own invention!
Fig, raspberry and cardamom pie – a wonderful mix of flavours I dreamt up one Sunday night.
I’d love to see your fruit, cheese and veggie combinations.
Equipment
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- Mixing bowl
- Butter knife
- Kitchen Scales
- Baking Tray
- pastry brush
Substitutions and variations
You could make this easy shortcrust pastry vegan/ dairy-free by using your favourite vegan butter. Vegan shortcrust pastry is just as easy and having a recipe for dairy-free shortcrust pastry is always useful.
You could also make gluten-free shortcrust pastry but swapping the regular plain flour with a gluten-free alternative. Just be sure to always read the label in the circumstance of severe allergies. Gluten-free shortcrust pastry is just as easy to make and tastes better than you expect! With GF flour you might need to add about 10% extra to help get the right consistency.
Storing / Making ahead of time options
As this sweet shortcrust pastry needs to rest before you roll out and use it, you can make the shortcrust pastry before you need it and just wrap it in clingfilm and keep it in the fridge. It will last for 1 or 2 days in the fridge.
I would recommend letting it come back to room temperature before you roll out the shortcrust pastry, this will help it roll smoothly and not crack.
You can also freeze any leftover shortcrust pastry, simply wrap it tightly in clingfilm and place it in the freezer for up to 4 months. Be sure to fully defrost your sweet shortcrust pastry before you are ready to bake with it.
FAQS
How do you make shortcrust pastry better?
You make shortcrust pastry better by making it at home rather than buying pre-made pastry. But you also make shortcrust pastry better by using room temperature butter, and a healthy pinch of salt to season your dough. Makes all the difference.
What is the best butter to use for pastry?
You can use any butter for pastry, but the best butter to use for pastry is unsalted butter, this gives you more control on seasoning your shortcrust pasrty dough, especially if you are using it for a dessert or a sweet pastry recipe. You won’t want too much salt and salted butter can be overpowering.
What temp do you cook shortcrust pastry?
The temp you cook shortcrust pastry at is 200C. This ensures a nice crisp pastry that isn’t burnt. Cooking it at a high temperature also helps combat soggy bottoms on tarts and pies.
Do you bake shortcrust pastry before filling?
You can bake your shortcrust pastry before filling, this is called blind baking and you will need baking balls or rolled-up bits of tinfoil to help it keep its shape. But most shortcrust pastry recipes don’t require you to bake before filling.
Do you put egg in shortcrust pastry?
No, you don’t put egg in shortcrust pastry. You can use use for a glaze, this helps your pastry brown nicely but you don’t need to put egg in shortcrust pastry recipe.
How do I make shortcrust pastry sweet?
If you want to turn this shortcrust pastry recipe into a sweet shortcrust pastry recipe then add 80g of caster sugar to the recipe below. Add the sugar at the same time you would add the flour and continue to mix it in the same way.
Other Recipes you might like
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Recipe
Shortcrust Pastry Recipe
Equipment
- Butter knife
Ingredients
Shortcrust Pastry Ingredients
- 175 g plain flour
- tiny pinch salt
- 90 g unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp cold water
Shortcrust glaze
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp milk
- granulated sugar
Instructions
Shortcrust Pastry
- Place the 175g plain flour and pinch of salt into a mixing bowl and add the 90g of butter cut into cubes.
- Rub the flour and butter together with your fingers to make what looks like bread crumbs.
- Using a normal knife stir in the 2 tablespoons water little by little until the dough as come together.
- Wrap the dough in cling film and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Roll out and it's ready to use.
Optional glaze
- If you are making a galette or pie with your shortcrust pastry it is a good idea to add a glaze of egg and milk to the top.
- Mix the egg and milk together and use a pastry brush to brush the mixture over the pastry just before it goes into the oven.
- If you want a textured finish add a sprinkling of granulated sugar.
Video
Notes
- It’s fun to make the pastry by hand but you can easily make this recipe using 1 sheet of ready-made shortcrust pastry from the supermarket.
- Best served hot with ice cream or single cream.
Nutrition
Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
I was looking for a simple recipe and I found it! My tart turned out great.
I’m so glad to hear it. Happy baking x
This was delicious! We really enjoyed both making and eating it!
I’m so glad. Happy baking x
Definitely bookmarking this recipe for when I make pies! It looks so easy to make!
I’m so happy you found it easy. It’s a great little recipe to make at home.
Love your detailed instructions and simple recipe for shortcrust pastry. Thanks for sharing.
You are most welcome indeed.
I was looking for short crust pastry and stumbled on your blog. This is perfect and I am bookmarking to try this. Thanks for sharing.
That is lovely to hear. I’m so happy you found it useful.
I’m planning on using this recipe to make lemon posset tartlets this week. I know it mentions blind baking at 200°c but for how long should it be baked?
Not for long at all. About 10-12 minutes.