Shortcrust Pastry

02Method

1. Put the flour and salt in a bowl or food processor. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips, or pulse, until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
2. Add the egg yolk and 2 tablespoons of the water. Mix with a knife or pulse until it just comes together, adding more water a teaspoon at a time if it is dry.
3. Tip onto the bench and gather into a ball. Do not knead. Flatten into a disc, wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
4. Roll out on a lightly floured bench to 3mm thick and use as your recipe directs.

03Notes & substitutions

• For a sweet pastry, add 2 tablespoons of icing sugar to the flour.
• To blind bake: line a tin, chill 20 minutes, cover with baking paper and pie weights, bake at 190C for 15 minutes, remove the weights and bake 5-10 more.
• Double the quantities for a pie with a base and a lid.
• Wrapped pastry keeps in the fridge for 2 days.
• Use a mix of butter and lard for a flakier pastry.

04Common mistakes

• Using warm butter — the pastry goes greasy and tough; keep everything cold.
• Overworking the dough — it develops gluten, so the pastry shrinks and toughens; handle it as little as possible.
• Adding too much water — wet pastry shrinks and is hard to roll.
• Skipping the chill — resting relaxes the gluten and firms the butter.

05Storage & leftovers