All Butter Shortcrust Pastry Recipe

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All Butter Shortcrust Pastry Recipe

This All Butter Shortcrust Pastry Recipe is traditional and simple. Using just butter with no lard or shortening results in a perfectly crumbly pastry that's packed with flavour. So with just four ingredients including salt and water, you can make the most versatile pastry that can be used for sweet or savoury baking.

5 from 3 votes

Prep Time: 10

Chill Time: 1

Total Time: 10

Servings g

Author Chloe

Equipment

Measuring Scales

Measuring Jug - Small

Measuring Spoons

Mixing Bowl - Medium

Ingredients

450 g Plain Flour (All Purpose)
½ tsp Fine/Table Salt
225 g Salted Butter - fridge cold
150 ml Cold Water

Instructions

Measure 450g Plain Flour along with ½ tsp Fine Salt into a mixing bowl. I like to use something wide and shallow when making pastry.
Cut 225g Salted Butter into smallish chunks.
Add the butter to the flour.
With clean and well dried hands, start to toss the butter in the flour. Then use your fingertips to start rubbing the butter into the flour.
"Rubbing in" simply means to keep squishing the bits of butter into the flour until you get something resembling the texture of breadcrumbs.
There shouldn't be any bit of just flour left by the time you have finished - it will take a couple of minutes - have patience and keep going.
Measure out around 150ml Cold Water. Add around two thirds to the flour/butter mix.
Use a regular eating knife to "cut" the pastry. Keep mixing with the knife and "cutting" or slicing into the wet crumbs until all of the flour/butter is equally hydrated.
Add more water a little at a time until when you squeeze together the crumbs, they come together into a soft but not sticky dough.
Use your hands to start forming the small lumps of dough into one large lump.
If you find the dough is sticky, you can add a little more flour. Or if you find that it is a little dry, add a drop more water. Trust your gut on the texture.
Give the dough a very light knead in the bottom of the bowl, You need to be careful to not overwork it - just for a few seconds until it is one smoothish lump.
Cut the dough into half and flattened into rough squares. A thinner piece of pastry now will chill quicker and be easier to roll out once chilled.
Wrap each piece of dough in cling film and refrigerate for at least 60 minutes before using.
Or you can speed things up and place in the freezer for around 20 minutes. Set a timer and don't forget it unless you intend to freeze it for a later time!
The pastry is now ready to use in your chosen recipe.

Notes

Although this recipe physically makes 800g of uncooked pastry, many old recipe would consider this to be "450g/1lb" of pastry as pastry quantities were referenced by the amount of flour used rather than the finished weight. Please note that I haven't followed this tradition in my recipes but it is worth bearing in mind when looking at other, especially vintage, recipes.

Nutrition (Approx)