Today I want to share with you my recipe for the Neapolitan pastiera shortcrust pastry: the recipe that won’t break, elastic, fragrant, and crack-proof, special, designed to perfectly hold the soft and moist filling of the pastiera.
Some time ago, when I used to prepare the pastiera, I was never satisfied with the pastry; because it was too crumbly, too hard, and broke at the first slice: in short, a real nightmare. But today I reveal the perfect recipe for an elastic, fragrant shortcrust pastry that won’t break, won’t crumble, and is easy to work with even when you need to weave the classic decorative strips. Do you know the secret? Certainly the right balance of butter, sugar, flour, and the aroma of grated lemon zest. An ideal pastry for those who want the crust to remain compact when slicing and make the pastiera beautiful to look at and especially delicious to taste.
Ready to discover the recipe? Hands-on dough and happy pastiera to everyone!
See you soon, Susy
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 12People
- Cooking methods: Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 449.68 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 57.91 (g) of which sugars 22.21 (g)
- Proteins 7.38 (g)
- Fat 22.28 (g) of which saturated 8.68 (g)of which unsaturated 12.33 (g)
- Fibers 1.15 (g)
- Sodium 19.19 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for the Shortcrust Pastry for Neapolitan Pastiera: The Recipe That Won’t Break
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 7 oz lard
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 drops orange blossom essence
- 1 lemon zest (grated)
How to Make the Shortcrust Pastry for Neapolitan Pastiera: The Recipe That Won’t Break
On the work surface, I pour the flour and arrange it in a well, place the lard or slightly softened butter in the center, the orange blossom essence, the grated lemon zest, a pinch of salt, and sugar, and quickly knead with my hands. Then I add the whole eggs and the egg yolk and continue kneading.
I wrap the shortcrust pastry in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Resting is essential to make the pastry more elastic.
Once rolled out, use it to line your pastiera mold: you will see how easy it is to handle and shape!
Susy’s Tip:
To achieve perfect cooking, do not roll the pastry too thin: the ideal thickness is about 0.2 inches. This way, the pastiera’s crust will well withstand the filling’s moisture, without deforming or cracking.
