Gillian Veal

Shortcrust Pastry

Preparation info
    • Difficulty

      Easy

Appears in
Café Cooking: From The Parlour to Cambo Gardens
Café Cooking

By Gillian Veal

Published 2024

  • About

This makes 170g, enough for any of the tart recipes in this section. For pain-free pastry making, just remember to keep everything cool, yourself included, and to work it all as lightly as possible. For sweet pastry, omit the salt and add a tablespoon of caster sugar.

Ingredients

  • 125 g plain flour
  • 55 g butter, cubed
  • 1-2 tbsp

Method

Put the flour in a bowl with a pinch of salt, add the butter and use your fingertips to lightly rub it into the flour so no big lumps remain. You’re aiming for a texture like coarse breadcrumbs. Try to work quickly so it doesn’t get greasy. Using a knife, stir in just enough water to bind the pastry together – start with a tablespoon and see how you go. Then wrap the dough in cling film and lea