Shortcrust pastry
A versatile pastry used for sweet and savory pies.
Shortcrust is a type of pastry often used for the base of a tart, quiche, pie, or (in the British English sense) flan. It can be used to make both sweet and savory pies such as apple pie, quiche, lemon meringue or chicken pie. Note that spritz cookies are not made from shortcrust pastry; they are a type of butter cookie made from a different dough, not a rolled shortcrust.
- type
- Pastry
- primary_use
- Base of tarts, quiches, pies, and flans
- key_ingredients
- Flour, fat (butter, lard, shortening, or margarine), ice water
- fat_to_flour_ratio
- Half as much fat as flour by weight
- varieties
- Pâte à foncer, pâte brisée, pâte sablée, pâte sucrée
Lore & Background
Shortcrust pastry recipes usually call for twice as much flour as fat by weight. Fat (as lard, shortening, butter or traditional margarine) is rubbed into plain flour to create a loose mixture that is then bound using a small amount of ice water, rolled out, then shaped and placed to create the top or bottom of a pie. Often, equal amounts of butter and lard are used to make the pastry, ensuring that the combined weight of the two fat products is still half that of the flour. The butter is employed to give the pastry a rich flavor, while the lard ensures optimum texture. French variations include pâte à foncer, which includes egg; pâte brisée, a lighter and more delicate unsweetened pastry used for savory pies and quiches; pâte sablée, made with more sugar to impede gluten strands and create a crumbly texture; and pâte sucrée, where butter is creamed with sugar and eggs before flour is folded in, producing a snappy, dry pastry. Contrary to some claims, pâte sucrée is a distinct dough with a different method (creaming sugar with butter), not simply pâte brisée with sugar added.
Reader's Guide
Shortcrust pastry is significant as a foundational element in both sweet and savory baking, providing a crisp, flaky base or top for pies, tarts, quiches, and flans. Its legacy lies in its simplicity and adaptability: the basic ratio of twice as much flour as fat allows for variations in fat type (butter for flavor, lard for texture) and the inclusion of eggs or sugar to create distinct French styles such as pâte brisée, pâte sablée, and pâte sucrée. The technique of cutting fat into flour and keeping ingredients cold ensures a flaky texture by preventing gluten development and creating steam pockets during baking. Overworking the dough is a known hazard, as it elongates gluten strands and produces a tough crust. Decorative techniques like crimping edges and latticing top crusts add visual appeal and functionality. Shortcrust's influence extends to cookies, as a sweetened butter version is used for spritz cookies. Its enduring presence in home and professional kitchens underscores its role as a versatile, reliable pastry.
Did You Know?
- Shortcrust pastry recipes usually call for twice as much flour as fat by weight.
- Often, equal amounts of butter and lard are used to ensure the combined fat weight is half that of the flour.
- Pâte brisée translates to 'broken pastry' and is an unsweetened pastry used for savory pies and quiches.
- Overworking the dough elongates gluten strands, creating a tough rather than light and crumbly texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Shortcrust pastry?
Shortcrust pastry is a versatile, unrolled dough that serves as the foundation for tarts, quiches, pies, and flans. It handles both sweet bakes like apple pie and lemon meringue as well as savory dishes such as chicken pie or quiche.
What are the core ingredients in Shortcrust pastry?
The dough is built from just flour, a fat (butter, lard, shortening, or margarine), and ice water. The cold water is essential because it keeps the fat solid until baking, which is what produces the tender, crumbly texture the pastry is known for.
What is the standard fat-to-flour ratio for Shortcrust pastry?
By weight, you use half as much fat as flour—so 100 g of fat to 200 g of flour. This ratio keeps the dough manageable while still delivering the characteristic crumbly, 'short' crumb that gives the pastry its name.
What are the main varieties of Shortcrust pastry?
Common subtypes include pâte à foncer (a plain, no-sugar base), pâte brisée (a French all-purpose shortcrust), pâte sablée (a sandy, butter-rich dough), and pâte sucrée (a sweeter, egg-enriched version). Each suits different applications, from savory quiche bases to delicate tart shells.
Are spritz cookies made from Shortcrust pastry?
No—spritz cookies are a separate type of butter cookie made from a different, non-rolled dough. They share the general 'short' pastry family in name only and should not be confused with true rolled shortcrust.
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