How to Make Basic Shortcrust Pastry from Scratch Step-by-Step

Basic Shortcrust Pastry is one of the most fundamental recipes every home baker should master. Made with just a few simple ingredients — flour, cold butter, a pinch of salt, and cold water — this versatile dough serves as the perfect base for countless sweet and savory dishes. The secret to a great shortcrust pastry lies in keeping everything cold and handling the dough as little as possible. Overworking the dough develops too much gluten, resulting in a tough and chewy crust instead of the delicate, crumbly texture we all love.

Once you have the basics down, shortcrust pastry opens the door to a world of baking possibilities. Use it to make classic fruit pies, creamy quiches, elegant tarts, or hearty meat pies — the dough adapts beautifully to both sweet and savory fillings. It can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to three days or frozen for up to a month, making it a practical staple in any kitchen. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced baker, this simple yet reliable pastry recipe is guaranteed to elevate your baking game every single time.

Basic Shortcrust Pastry Recipe by The Easy Kitchen(pie and tarts)

Ingredients:
250g / 2 cups plain all purpose flour
A pinch of salt
50g / 3 tablespoons lard (or while cooking fat/shortening), chilled and diced
75g / 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and diced
2 – 3 tablespoons ice cold water

Makes about 400g/14oz (enough to line the base of a 23-25cm/ 9-10 inch loose based tart pan or make a double crust for a 20 – 23cm / 8-9 inch pie plate)

The Classic Way
Sift the flour and salt together into a large mixing bowl.
Add the lard and butter and rub in until the mixture resemble breadcrumbs. Add enough of the water to bring the pastry together and stir in.

Tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly to bring the dough together. Shape into a flattened ball, wrap in cling film/plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling and using in the recipe.

The Food Processor Method
Sift the flour and salt together into the bowl of the machine add the lard and butter and process for about 30 seconds until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Pour in 2 tablespoons of the water and pulse for 10 seconds. The dough should start to come together in large raggy lumps. If not, add another tablespoon of water and pulse again as soon as the dough forms one big lump(don’t overprices or the pastry will be tough), tip out onto a lightly floured surfaced and knead lightly. Shape into a flattened ball, wrap in clingfilm/plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling out and using the recipe end.