Shortcrust pastry case (video)
- Lucy Lord
- Apr 23
- 3 min read
There’s something deeply satisfying about making your own shortcrust pastry from scratch. The process is grounding, the ingredients are simple and the result is a buttery, crisp golden case that holds everything together and tastes delicious. Whether you're filling it with something sweet like a silky custard or going savoury with a classic quiche, this pastry case is the perfect foundation.
This is a free step-by-step cookalong video which I've made available to everyone as an example of what's included amongst hundreds of videos available on Supper Club's membership platform.
Time to make : 20 minutes + chill time
Time to bake : 25 minutes
Serves : 8
Ingredients
250g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
130g butter, chilled
1 egg yolk
4 - 6 tbsp of ice cold water
This recipe is perfect for a 20 - 25cm pastry or quiche tin.
Method
Use a sharp knife to cut the chilled butter into small cubes, about 2cm.
In a large mixing bowl, add the flour and salt and stir to combine.
Add the cubed, cold butter into the mixing bowl and use your fingers to rub the flour into the butter for a few minutes until all of the butter clumps have been rubbed in. You should have a crumb-like, sandy consistency.
Add in the egg yolk and use your fingers or a spatula to roughly mix it through.
Add in the ice cold water, starting with 4 tbsp and mixing through with your hands in the bowl, adding more ice cold water if necessary, 1 tbsp at a time and mixing well in between each addition to avoid adding too much water to the dough. The dough should be a soft, smooth ball similar in consistency to play doh.
Wrap the dough ball in cling film and let it chill in the fridge for 5 - 10 minutes. See notes below on how to fridge or freeze at this stage for later*.
Lightly flour a rolling pin and worktop surface or silicone pastry mat and roll the dough out until it's about 1cm thick.
Use your rolling pin to pick up the rolled dough and lay it over the pie tin. Use your fingers to gently press the dough into the base of the tin and into the fluted edges. Trim any excess overhanging dough off with a sharp knife.
Use a fork to prick holes over the base and sides of the dough and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. See notes below on how to fridge or freeze at this stage for later*.
Pre-heat a fan oven to 160ºC.
Remove the chilled pastry from the fridge and cover it with a sheet of baking paper. Fill the pastry with baking beans* or dried beans eg. dried chickpeas. Bake for 15 minutes. This method is called 'blind baking'.
Remove the baking paper filled with the baking beans from the pastry and bake for a further 10 minutes.
Remove the pastry case from the oven and let it cool. For most savoury fillings, you can fill the pastry case whilst it's still warm before it goes back in the oven, but follow the recipe instructions for more guidance. See notes below on how to store or freeze this for later*.
Nutritional Information
(per slice of unfilled pastry case, when sliced into 8)
235 cals
14g fat, 24g carbs, 4g protein
Good to know:
This is the pastry tin I use and love for pies, quiches etc.
'Blind baking' ensures the pastry crust is fully cooked, it partially bakes the pastry case allowing steam to escape and preventing it from becoming soggy when filled. It also helps the crust maintain its shape and prevents the base from puffing up during baking.
Making ahead and storage
You can chill the shortcrust pastry dough at step 3, wrapped in cling film in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
You can make pastry cases ahead of time by chilling them in the fridge for up to 2 days at step 9. Or, you can freeze them at this stage for up to 3 months. Wrap tightly (still in the tin) with cling film and then a layer of tin foil. Defrost overnight in the fridge or for at least 2 hours at room temperature, still wrapped in cling film to prevent it from drying out, before continuing on with step 10.
For baked pastry cases at step 13, you can keep them at room temperature for up to 2 days before filling. Store in an airtight container. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. Wrap tightly (still in the tin) with cling film and then a layer of tin foil. Defrost overnight in the fridge or for at least 2 hours at room temperature, still wrapped in cling film to prevent it from drying out, before filling them.
