Hairy Bikers shortcrust pastry rubs 75g of butter and 75g of lard into 300g of plain flour, then binds it with egg and iced water. So the Brilliant Bakes recipe makes about 500g, or 8 portions at roughly 290 calories each, in 45 minutes, both by my sums.
Half lard is the twist, because “using half butter and half lard makes a much shorter, flakier pastry”. And the egg is optional, though they like it because it gives “a slightly more elastic, less crumbly dough”.
Keeping everything cold matters most, since “the key to making good pastry is to keep it cool”. So in very hot weather, they suggest grating the butter in straight from the freezer.
Hairy Bikers Shortcrust Pastry Recipe
Description
An all-purpose savoury pastry that’s short and flaky from the lard, but easier to work thanks to the egg. Once it has chilled in its tin, it’s ready for pies, tarts, quiches and pasties.
Ingredients
For the pastry
Instructions
- Rub in the fat: Put the flour, butter and lard in a bowl with a generous pinch of salt. Then rub the fat into the flour with just your fingertips, to keep it cool, until it looks like fine breadcrumbs.
- Find the lumps: Give the bowl a gentle shake, so any larger lumps rise to the top. Then rub those until they’re finer too.
- Add the egg and water: If you’re using the egg, whisk it with 1 tbsp of iced water first, which helps it spread evenly, then add it. Then add just enough iced water to form a dough, about 2 to 4 tbsp by my guide, or a little more without the egg.
- Knead gently: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it very gently until smooth.
- Line, then chill: Roll it out to about the thickness of a £1 coin, as their Perfect Pies tarts do, and line your tin or dish. Then chill it in the tin, for 30 minutes by my timing, or chill the dough first if it’s too soft to roll.
- Soften if needed: If the pastry is hard from the fridge, take it out at least 30 minutes before rolling. And cover it with a damp tea towel, so it doesn’t go dry or crumbly at the edges.
FAQs
Can I make shortcrust pastry in a food processor?
Yes, and in Brilliant Bakes they suggest a food processor or stand mixer to keep it cool. And their Perfect Pies method pulses the flour and cold fat to coarse breadcrumbs, so I’d add the lard with the butter.
Then, with the motor running, the egg goes in as a slow, steady stream, stopping as soon as the dough starts to form a ball. And they call it “so easy to do”, though a firm ball whizzing round the bowl means it’s gone too far and may shrink.
How do I make sweet shortcrust pastry?
In Brilliant Bakes, they add 1 tbsp of icing sugar, plus the zest of 1 lemon or orange, or 2 limes, with the flour. So it’s the same method, just sweetened.
Their Perfect Pies sweet shortcrust, for fruit pies and deep tarts, uses 400g of flour, 250g of butter and 2 tbsp of caster sugar. And it’s bound with a large egg beaten with 2 tbsp of cold water, enough for a double-crust pie.
How much pastry do I need for a pie?
One batch, made with 300g of flour, is close to their Perfect Pies amount for a plate pie, which is my reading. And their 250g-flour tart pastries line a 25cm tart tin, so this covers that with some to spare.
Their guide uses 350g of flour and 200g of butter for a double-crust pie, or 250g and 150g for a top crust. So their steak and mushroom pie, with shortcrust top and bottom, needs a bigger batch than this one.
How do I bake shortcrust pastry blind?
Prick the base, then cover it with scrunched-up baking parchment and about 2.5cm of baking beans, as their Perfect Pies method does. Bake on a tray at 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6 for about 25 minutes, then lift out the paper and beans.
Give it 5 to 10 minutes more, until the base is pale golden and dry, and cook it fully for a cold filling. And any cracks get brushed with beaten egg and baked briefly, which matters for wet fillings like their quiche lorraine.
Can I make it ahead or freeze it?
The book doesn’t give a fridge time, so this is my approach: wrap it well and keep it chilled for up to 2 days. Then soften it under a damp tea towel, as in the method, before rolling.
Freezing isn’t covered either, so I’d freeze it flat for up to 3 months and thaw it overnight in the fridge. And for other versions, in Brilliant Bakes they use suet instead of lard, or ground almonds or hazelnuts for up to half the flour.
