Paste, Short Crust, Plain
Ingredients
Directions
Make the pastry
Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder into a large bowl.
Rub in the fat until well combined.
Add the water and mix with a knife to form a smooth paste.
Shape and use
Roll out to your desired shape and thickness, then use immediately.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Flour
- Forms the main structure that holds the pastry together.
- Fat
- Coats flour particles to tenderise the crust and limit gluten development.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas to lighten the pastry and help it rise slightly.
- Water
- Hydrates the flour so the mixture binds into a dough.
The step that matters
Rubbing in the fat. Fat should be worked into the flour until it looks evenly crumbly. Large pieces left unmixed can make the crust uneven, while overworking warms the fat and develops gluten, which makes the pastry tough.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
More short crust pastry recipes
You might also like
White Cake431 recipes
Pound Cake373 recipes
Orange Bundt Cake349 recipes
Spice Cake344 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.