PIE CRUST (SHORTCRUST PASTRY) (G) (V)
Makes 1 pie shell
Ingredients
200g of all purpose/plain flour
110g unsalted butter, cubed (cold)
1/4 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
2 - 3 tablespoon ice cold water
200g of all purpose/plain flour
110g unsalted butter, cubed (cold)
1/4 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
2 - 3 tablespoon ice cold water
Method
- Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.
- Rub the cold butter into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Then add the cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time to the mixture and try to bring it together until it forms a rough dough (usually it requires 3 tablespoons of cold water). Do not overwork the dough.
- Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until ready to be used. (Note: if making just a pie shell, follow recipe,for a bottom and a full top pie crust, double the recipe and for a bottom crust with lattice top use 1 1/2 of the recipe)
- If the dough has been left in the fridge for more than 30 minutes, leave it to soften slightly for about 5 minutes at room temperature before rolling it.
- To roll the dough : Unwrap the cling film and let it line the bottom of the dough. Then lay down another cling film on top of the dough so that the dough is sandwiched between the cling film. Using a rolling pin, start rolling on top of the cling film from the middle outwards until you have reached the thickness that you desire.
- Transfer the pastry into your pie pan. The easiest way would be to roll the pastry around your rolling pin loosely starting from the side closest to you then bring it on top of the pie pan at the side opposite of you and unroll.
- Press the pastry slightly around the sides.
- This is ready to be baked blind partially or completely, depending on your recipe.
- To bake your pastry blind : pierce the bottom of the crust with a fork at several places. Line the crust with a baking paper and weigh down the baking paper with some baking beans (you could use any dry beans e.g red beans, kidney beans, green beans etc) and bake at 200 degrees Celcius for 10 to 12 minutes before filling it and continuing baking, according to your recipe.
P/S : the beans that you have used cannot be used for other cooking purpose so just store them for your next pie crust. For a sweet pastry crust, try adding 1tablespoon of powdered sugar and some lemon zest!
_
***