Thermomix Shortcrust pastry is a deliciously, crisp, buttery, biscuit-style base, perfect for any pie, pastie, or delectable tart. My pastry crust has the perfect crunch and allows for various fillings. I have some fabulous tips to help you get the shortest, buttery pastry with a delicious bite.
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Table of contents
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There is nothing nicer than a pie or tart made with homemade shortcrust pastry. Using a Thermomix or food processor makes pastry too easy to consider buying second-rate commercially produced pastry.
I have been using this pastry for at least 30 years. I had a good quality food processor that could "rub" the butter through the flour quickly and now I use my Thermomix.
Years ago I owned a cafe. We made most of our cakes and tarts in-house so I am very fussy when it comes to cafe-style, sweet treats. In particular, the pastry must be perfect! I loathe being served dry, tough, or chunky pastry. A shortcrust pastry must be light, buttery, crisp, and thin.
I never intended to share my recipe for shortcrust pastry because I thought everybody made their pastry the same way! But when I went to Cookidoo I found some recipes used eggs and others insisted on lard in the pastry. I had to share!
French Shortcrust Pastry
French-style pastry quite often includes eggs. It makes the pastry richer and more delicate. If the correct ratios for a genuine French pastry are maintained it is the ultimate in crumbly goodness but it lends itself to a sweet filling. The richness of the eggs and butter also makes the pastry more difficult to handle. If the correct ratios aren't maintained the pastry will be dry and tough.
So I thought I would share my very easy, non-fussy Thermomix shortcrust pastry. As a bonus, anyone allergic to eggs can happily enjoy this pastry as it's egg-free.
Pastry Making Tips
- Use cold butter straight from the fridge
- Cube butter before adding to flour
- Use cold refrigerated water
- Rest pastry in the fridge prior to rolling
- Try to avoid touching the pastry as your hands will melt the butter making the pastry tough
- Don't flour the bench as this incorporates more flour making the dough tough
- Roll pastry between 2 pieces of plastic wrap for non-stick rolling and easy transfer to the pie dish.
Shortcrust Pastry likes to be cold!
My biggest tip is pastry likes to be cold! If you remember this from the start to the finish of your pastry-making experience you will make a beautifully crisp pastry.
Pastry Making Science 101
Okay, so I'm geeking out here. Pastry making requires the butter to be cold so it coats the flour, but does not soak into the flour. Coating the flour in cold butter provides an impermeable layer keeping out water and melted butter that would cause the gluten to swell, and the flour to become tough.
We add cold water for the same reason. It keeps everything nice and cold including the butter. This further prevents the butter from melting into the flour molecules.
The next action that can excite the gluten bonds is working the dough. We don't want to form strong gluten bonds. The water should be added until the dough has "just barely" come together. Then it should be gently encouraged into a ball and placed in the fridge. The shortcrust pastry should be refrigerated for at least 30 minutes prior to rolling.
Shortcrust Pastry Ingredients & Substitutes
Flour
Choose all-purpose flour, otherwise known as plain flour in Australia. Don't be tempted to use bread-making flour or 00 flour as both have more gluten and will result in a tougher pastry.
Salted Butter
I use salted butter rather than unsalted butter. If you use unsalted butter salt needs to be added anyway. Then you're just guessing the correct amount! Please don't use margarine. I will cry. Margarine will make your pastry taste awful. Spreadable butter is also unsuitable for pastry making. The oil that is added to the butter will cause your pastry to become tough.
Water
No substitutes just fridge cold water.
Thermomix Shortcrust Pastry Uses
This is a really quick and versatile recipe. It can be used as a starting point for so many recipes that I have otherwise suggested commercial pastry. The flavour and texture are so much better with this pastry. Why not try some of these recipes?
- Classic Quiche Lorraine Ditch that "nothing" pastry and blind bake the base first using this recipe.
- Pumpkin & Feta Pie Elevate this fancy pie with a crispy pastry base
- Shepherd Pie Have you considered making mini Shephard's pie with a shortcrust base? This would make a fabulous portable lunch.
FAQ Thermomix Shortcrust Pastry
The dough can be kept in the fridge for a week prior to cooking.
Yes, the dough can be frozen raw and kept for a month or more.
You can use dried beans or rice to weigh down the baking paper, cooking times may vary.
Cover the edges with aluminum foil to prevent them colouring any further.
If you really must use Bakers Flour go ahead, but do not work the dough at all.
If you like you can switch to half lard, half butter. I prefer the taste of butter and I don't find the lard adds any further crispyness. This is a personal preference.
Can I tell you a secret?? My old nan would make pastry bases all the time and store them in the cupboard inside the base tin. When she had leftovers she always had a pie base to add the leftovers to.
So this is an uncovered, unrefrigerated pie base sitting in a cupboard until needed. Now I'm sure you're thinking it would be stale. Nope! Because the base is cooked again when the filling goes in. So, I don't know how long a cooked shortcrust pie shell lasts. But I'm guessing it's longer than you think. Also note they are sold in supermarkets, on a help with a long shelf life.
Ceramic Pie Weights
Ceramic pie weights are used in the base of pastry cases to "bake blind". These are much more effective than using rice or beans to weigh down the pastry. The ceramic weights will evenly distribute weight and heat to help your pastry hold its shape. Your pastry will turn out perfectly crisp, smooth, and evenly cooked (or par-baked) every time. Perfect for your pies, tarts, quiches, and flans.
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Sweet Shortcrust Pastry Thermomix
Equipment
Ingredients
- 80 g caster sugar superfine
- 550 g all purpose flour plain
- 270 g cold butter cut in cubes
- 160 g cold water
Instructions
- Place sugar in the TM Bowl. Mill 10 sec/Speed 9.80 g caster sugar
- Scrape down the bowl. Add the flour and cubed butter to the bowl. Combine 15 sec/Speed 4550 g all purpose flour, 270 g cold butter
- Scrape down the bowl.
- Add water. Set to Dough 1 minute.160 g cold water
- Scrape down the bowl.
- Use the spatula to see if the pastry will push together. If not add another 10sec/dough mode
- Place a piece of plastic wrap on the bench.
- Tip the pastry on the plastic and use the plastic to fold over the pastry and bring it in to form a cohesive square of pastry in the plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 160 fan-forced
- When you're ready to use the pastry. Unwrap the pastry and allow it to stay on the plastic. Place another sheet of plastic over the pastry. Roll the pastry between the two sheets of plastic. This prevents the need for flour which makes the pastry tough.
- The pastry should be rolled to approximately 2-3 mm thickness.
- If baking blind. Spray the pie tin with oil and line it with pastry.
- Place baking paper inside the tart shell and add weights. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove the baking weights and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
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Happy Cooking
j xx
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