Shortcrust pastry, called pie crust pastry in America, is one of the classic pastries and the easiest to make. It’s known as pâte brisée in traditional French cooking and all the names refer to its use, for sweet or savoury pies, and its short or crumbly texture (brisée means ‘broken’). Sweet shortcrust pastry (pâte sucrée in French) is often used for sweet pies, though if the filling is sweet enough, I often use an unsweetened pastry. Other variations include the even crumblier pâte sablée (‘sandy pastry’) and the sturdier pâte foncée (‘lining pastry’) usually enriched with egg. You can make shortcrust pastry the day before its needed and refrigerate it, just give it an hour or so to return to almost room temperature before rolling it as the high butter content means it gets quite hard in the fridge. For occasions when you don’t have time to make your own pastry, it’s handy to have a good commercial one like Carême in the freezer.
Makes about 320g (11½oz)
Use your shortcrust pastry to make Swiss cheese tarts (Chäschueche) or cheese tartlets (Chäschüechli), Seafood Pot Pie, Bacon and Egg Pie, Tarte Tatin or Pecan Pie. Learn how to blind bake a pie crust here.
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No, you shouldn’t knead shortcrust pastry (pie pastry) as that would develop the gluten causing the pastry to toughen and lose its signature crumbly (or short) texture. Because it doesn’t require kneading. shortcrust is one of the easiest and quickest pastries to make.
Yes, it’s best to rest shortcrust pastry (pâte brisée) in the fridge twice. Refrigerate shortcrust pastry for 30–60 minutes before rolling it out and then again for 15–30 minutes once you’ve lined the tin, before filling and baking it.
Resting shortcrust pastry (pie pastry) in the fridge before rolling it out allows time for the gluten to relax and firms it up a little making it easier to roll.
Yes, you can rest shortcrust pastry (pâte brisée) in the fridge for more than an hour, even overnight. When shortcrust pastry is refrigerated for more than an hour however, the butter in it causes it to become too firm to roll and it needs to be left at room temperature to soften a little before rolling.
Refrigerating shortcrust pastry (pie pastry) in the tin, even for just 15 minutes, before filling or baking firms the butter up again, helps prevents the pastry from shrinking and sets it against the tin.
