Pie Crust (Shortcrust Pastry)
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cflour
plain / all purpose flour
- 2 tspwhite sugar
skip if making savoury pie
- ½ tspsalt
- 115g / 8 tbsp unsalted butter)
, cold, cut into 1cm/ 1/3" cubes (Note 1
- 2 ½ tbspice cold water
+ more as required
Directions
Make dough:
- 1
Pulse Dry: Place flour, sugar and salt in food processor. Pulse twice to combine.
- 2
Cut in butter: Scatter butter across surface. Pulse 5 times until the largest pieces are the size of chickpeas.
- 3
Add chilled water: With the motor running on low, pour 2.5 tbsp of water into the tube feeder.
- 4
Form crumbs: Keep blitzing for 10 seconds until crumbs form (also see video). Pinch between fingers - they should stick and form a dough.
- 5
HAND option: Whisk flour, sugar and salt in large bowl. Rub butter into flour with tips of fingers until it resembles crumbs - it should look the same as using a food processor. Then mix in cold water with rubber spatula, then proceed with steps below.
- 6
Form disc: Tip crumbs out onto work surface, bring together into dome (don't knead), pat into 2cm/ 4/5" thick disc.
- 7
Chill: Wrap in clingwrap then refrigerate 1 hour (up to 2 days, otherwise freeze).
Rolling out:
- 1
Dust with flour: Sprinkle work surface with flour, unwrap dough and place on the flour. Sprinkle top with flour, dust rolling pin with flour.
- 2
Roll out: Roll out into round that's 10cm/4" larger than 22.5cm/9" pie tin. Patch up and roll over cracks as necessary
- 3
Transfer to pie dish: Gently roll the pastry so it wraps around the rolling pin. Unroll it over the pie dish.
- 4
Drape pastry into pie tin (do not stretch/pull, causes shrinkage).
- 5
Trim: If making a pie with NO LID (like Pumpkin Pie), then trim edges with scissors leaving a 1 cm / 2/5" overhang. If making a pie with a lid (like a Meat Pie) then trim edges so they align with the edge of the pie tin (ie no excess overhang).
- 6
Tuck excess under, if appliable (ie per step above, if making a no lid pie). Then crimp or decorate edge as desired.
- 7
Refrigerate: Put pie crust in the freezer for 15 - 30 minutes (while oven heats up). This helps prevent shrinkage, firms up the butter again (flakiness!) and helps to ensure decorative crimped edges remain in tact.
- 8
Baking options (Note 4) - Blind bake the pie crust if it will be baked once filled (eg Meat Pie, Pumpkin Pie). Fully bake the pie crust if it will not be baked once filled.
Blind bake (par-bake, note 4):
- 1
Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan).
- 2
Line & weigh down: Place 2 large pieces of parchment/baking paper crosswise over the pastry, then fill with baking beads or lots of rice or dried beans to weigh it down. (Note 2)
- 3
Bake 1 covered: Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from oven.
- 4
Bake 2 uncovered: Use excess paper to CAREFULLY remove hot beads, then return to oven for 5 minutes or until base is light golden (doesn't need to be 100% cooked though).
- 5
Cool: Remove from oven. Cool 15 minutes in the pie tin before filling (another measure to avoid soggy base).
Fully baked option (note 4):
- 1
Follow directions per Blind Baking steps above BUT bake at 190°C/375°F (170°C fan) covered with baking beads for 25 minutes, then 15 minutes uncovered until golden. Fully cool before filling.
Fill:
- 1
Fill and bake per directions of chosen pie filling - such as Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie, Meat Pie. The par baked pastry will not be 100% cooked, it finishes cooking with the filling. It's cooked enough so the crust will not go soggy.
Pie Crust (Shortcrust Pastry)
Ratings & Reviews
Be the First to Rate
Your rating helps others discover amazing recipes. Share your experience and let others know what you think!
About this Recipe
The Ultimate Easy Pie Crust (Shortcrust Pastry)
Every great pie starts with an incredible crust, and this Pie Crust (Shortcrust Pastry) recipe is truly my go-to for a reason! Whether you're a seasoned baker or just learning how to make pie crust, you'll appreciate its simplicity and consistent results. It's perfectly flaky, tender, and incredibly versatile, making it the ideal base for both sweet and savory creations.
What makes this shortcrust pastry recipe stand out? For starters, it's incredibly fast! You can have this dough come together in just 1 minute using a food processor, though traditional hands-on methods work beautifully too. The secret lies in using cold butter and just enough ice-cold water to bind it, ensuring those irresistible flaky layers that are the hallmark of a perfect pie.
This recipe yields enough dough for a single 23cm / 9" pie or tart, serving 8-12 people. Double it up easily for a covered pie! From classic sweet treats like Pecan Pie and Pumpkin Pie to hearty savory options such as a traditional Aussie Meat Pie, this reliable pie crust will never let you down. Mastering the art of blind baking pie crust is also made easy with this sturdy dough, setting you up for success with custard fillings or quiches that require a pre-baked shell. Get ready to bake some magic!