Homemade sweet Shortcrust pastry

This Homemade recipe for sweet shortcrust pastry shows you how to make pastry from scratch in the easiest way.

The shortcrust pastry dough”pâte brisée in French”. It makes many argue for its invention, although the inhabitants of Sablé-Sur-Sarthe in France claim to be at the origin.

In that case, it is perhaps due to this story which tells that in 1670 the Marquise de Sablé – who has since given its name to the city – offered small shortbread cookies to Louis XIV’s brother, who of course found the cookies exquisite.

Other sources claim that this clever mixture of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs was invented in Lisieux in the 19th century.

Still, as crumbly as it is delicious, this shortcrust dough goes perfectly with the fruity garnishes. This shortcrust pastry dough is used for pies and tarts, so to make a delightful Strawberry tart, all you need is to master the dough.

Tips for making an unmistakable sweet shortcrust pastry!

• Butter at room temperature: your butter should be soft but not melted. Take it out of the refrigerator between 2 or 3 hours before you start making your dough. If you forget to do this, then soften it in the microwave for about 3 x 15 seconds on low power.
• Keep an eye on the flour: Don’t cover the work surface with too much flour. It’s tempting to use a lot of flour to coat the surface and the crust since it makes it simpler to handle, but too much flour can cause the shortcrust to dry out. Brush off any excess flour before folding or baking the pastry, or you can use two layers of cling film to roll it out to avoid using any flour at all.
• Don’t overwork the dough: Overworking shortcrust pastry can result in harsh and unpleasant outcomes, so roll and handle it as little as possible.
• Rest: After handling the pastry, place it in the fridge to let the fat firm up again at least five minutes before putting it in the oven.
• Bake it blind: Because pastry takes longer to cook than the filling in most circumstances, give it a head start by par-baking it before filling it. To avoid bubbles, prick the base many times with a fork, then line it with baking paper and fill it with baking beans, rice, or copper coins before baking.
• Sprinkle with sugar: Add a nice crunch to sweet pies, tarts, dust them with powdered sugar. 

What’s the difference between sweet shortcrust pastry dough and Pie dough?

A type of pie crust is shortcrust pastry dough. It’s called pâte brisée in French because it’s made without leavening agents and (usually) no sugar. When baked, it’s flaky and crispy rather than puffy. It’s the most common form of pastry, and it’s perfect for both sweet and savory dishes.

Do I need to blind bake shortcrust pastry?

Shortcrust pastry should be partially cooked before adding moist fillings to avoid becoming soggy. This phase, referred to as blind baking, seals the surface and creates a crisp pastry case.

How long can you keep uncooked sweet shortcrust pastry in the fridge?

Refrigerate uncooked shortcrust pastry tightly wrapped in plastic. It will keep for two to three days in this state.

However, the dough will develop a slightly greyish color; don’t be concerned; it will still work. Before laying out the crust for the pie, make sure it’s at room temperature.

How to transfer a Pie Shortcrust to the pan?

Remember that the dough is fragile!
To avoid breaking the dough, roll it up on the rolling pin and then roll it out onto the baking sheet. It is also fragile after cooking, be careful when handling it.

For best results please follow these steps:

• Roll out the puff pastry to the desired thickness and width, around 4 cm (1.5 inches) wider than the tin you’re lining.
• Pick the shortcrust pastry with the rolling pin and position it over the baking pan.
• Using your fingers, press the pastry into the corners, then press it into the corners with a rolled-up ball of pastry trimmings dusted with flour.
• Allow an overhang of pastry to wrap around the tin’s edges.
• Using a fork, prick the base of the pastry case all over.
• Preheat oven to 200 °C/180 °C fan/gas six or the temperature specified in the recipe.
• Fill the tart tin with dried beans or dried pulses after filling it with baking paper.
• Bake for about 10 minutes, then remove the beans and bake for another 5 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and biscuit, or until the pie is firm.

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I’d love to hear what you think of this recipe for Shortcrust Pastry. Have you made any changes or added any extras?

Please let me know in the comments section below. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and happy cooking!