The perfect shortcrust pastry is the dough I love the most, because it takes me back to my childhood, afternoons spent with my Aunt Franca, as we baked tarts with her homemade plum jam.
It was a simple, love-filled ritual that I still carry with me in every tart I bake.
This is my basic shortcrust pastry recipe, the one I’ve been using for years and has never let me down. It is elastic, easy to knead by hand – without a mixer – and perfect for both a Nutella tart, and a classic jam tart. It holds its shape well during baking and has a crumbly but compact texture, just the way I like it.
To scent it, I always choose natural and enveloping aromas: a pinch of ginger or cinnamon, the grated zest of orange or lemon, or some vanilla seeds. These are simple details, but they really make a difference in the final result.
If you also love homemade tarts, try this recipe: it’s my perfect shortcrust pastry, the one I prepare with heart and always use to make desserts that taste like home.
Do you like tarts and desserts with shortcrust pastry? On my blog, you will find many other shortcrust pastry recipes to try!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 1 Day
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 1
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 424.76 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 58.15 (g) of which sugars 24.54 (g)
- Proteins 5.70 (g)
- Fat 20.64 (g) of which saturated 12.87 (g)of which unsaturated 7.78 (g)
- Fibers 6.15 (g)
- Sodium 86.21 (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 perfect shortcrust pastry
- 4.4 oz Butter
- 4.4 oz Sugar
- 2 cups Flour
- 2 oz Eggs
- 1 pinch Salt
- Lemon zest (grated)
Tools
- Bowl
- Plastic wrap
Preparation of the perfect shortcrust pastry
In a large bowl, put the butter at room temperature together with the sugar and start working the mixture quickly by hand, until you obtain a sandy but uniform consistency. This step is important so as not to heat the dough too much and to keep the pastry crumbly.
Add the eggs, grated lemon zest, and a pinch of salt. Continue kneading with your hands until the ingredients begin to bind.
At this point, gradually add the flour and work the dough until you obtain a smooth, compact, and elastic mixture. It is important not to work it for too long to prevent the butter from heating up and the pastry from losing its texture.
Form a block, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour, but when I have time, I leave it even for an entire day: it will be even easier to roll out and work.
The shortcrust pastry can also be frozen, already portioned into blocks and well sealed in food bags: this way it’s always ready to use to prepare tarts, cookies, or tartlets.
The ingredients of shortcrust pastry and their role
Flour: use a weak flour, with strength between W 140 and W 220, so as not to develop too much gluten and keep the pastry crumbly.
Fats: butter is the most used, but in some variants, you can also use oil, yogurt, or lard, which contribute to the friability of the dough.
Sugars: you can choose between granulated sugar, brown sugar, honey, fructose, or stevia. Sugars affect the crispness and color.
Eggs: they serve to bind all the ingredients, making the pastry workable and compact. In some recipes, only yolks are used for a richer texture.
Methods of processing shortcrust pastry
Start by mixing the butter with the sugar, add the eggs, and finally the flour.
It is the simplest and quickest method, and it produces a compact and manageable pastry, perfect for tarts and shapeable biscuits.
Sandblasted method
First work the flour with cold butter until you get a “sandy” consistency. Then add sugar and eggs.
This method allows for a more crumbly pastry, ideal for delicate desserts and tart bases.
Whipped method
The butter is whipped with powdered sugar, then the eggs and flour are added.
It is used for soft pastries, perfect for tea biscuits or coffee pastries, with a piping bag.
Sablée Pastry
Contains over 50% butter compared to the weight of the flour. It is a very crumbly pastry, ideal for making cookies and pastry treats.
Common Pastry
Includes about 50% butter compared to the weight of flour and sugar. It is a balanced base, easy to work with and suitable for tarts and cookies.
Milanese Pastry
Has equal amounts of butter and sugar (both 50% compared to flour). It is a rich, well-structured pastry, perfect for tartlets and bases to fill.
Pastry for Bases
In this variant, the sugar weighs more than the butter but should not exceed 60% of the flour’s weight. It is ideal for tarts with moist fillings.
Whipped Pastry
Contains over 60% butter compared to flour and less than 30% sugar. It is used for soft, rich cookies, to be shaped with a piping bag.
Key tips for a perfect pastry
Always let the shortcrust pastry rest in the refrigerator, even for an entire day if you can. This step is essential: once baked, the dough will better retain its shape and be easier to roll and work.
Prick the base with a fork is important: once laid in the pan, remember to prick it with the prongs to prevent it from puffing during baking.
The butter must be cold from the refrigerator: it should be cut into pieces and added to the dough only at the last moment, so as not to compromise the structure of the pastry.
Work the dough as little as possible: excessive handling warms the butter, making the dough sticky, difficult to roll out, and not elastic.
Always let the shortcrust pastry rest in the refrigerator, even for an entire day if you can. This step is essential: once baked, the dough will better retain its shape and be easier to roll and work.
Prick the base with a fork is important: once laid in the pan, remember to prick it with the prongs to prevent it from puffing during baking.
The butter must be cold from the refrigerator: it should be cut into pieces and added to the dough only at the last moment, so as not to compromise the structure of the pastry.
Work the dough as little as possible: excessive handling warms the butter, making the dough sticky, difficult to roll out, and not elastic.
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