Shortcrust Pastry

🥧 Homemade Shortcrust Pastry

A good homemade shortcrust pastry is one of the most useful recipes you can have in your kitchen. With just a handful of ingredients and a simple method, you'll have a versatile pastry that can be used for everything from savoury pies to sweet desserts.

The recipe is based on an easy-to-remember ratio of roughly two parts flour to one part fat, making it simple to scale up or down depending on what you're baking. This quantity makes enough pastry for a standard pie dish with both a base and lid.

🛒 Ingredients

• 350g plain flour
• 175g margarine
• Pinch of salt
• Cold water as required

For Sweet Pastry

• Reduce the salt
• Add approximately 50g caster sugar

Makes: Enough pastry for a standard pie dish with both a base and lid.

👨‍🍳 Method

1. Add the flour and salt to a mixing bowl.
2. Add the margarine and rub it into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Add a little cold water at a time.
4. Mix gently until the pastry comes together into a smooth dough.
5. Avoid overworking the pastry once it has formed.
6. Wrap and chill if required before rolling.
7. Roll out and use as required for your chosen recipe.

💡 Rustic Tips

• The simple 2:1 flour-to-fat ratio makes this recipe easy to remember.
• If making sweet pastry, simply add around 50g sugar and reduce the salt.
• Cold ingredients help create a lighter, better-textured pastry.

Use What You Have

Visit my “Let’s Cook Something Delicious” page to tick your ingredients and get a dish suggestion — perfect for budget‑friendly bakes:
https://wordofmouthlife.co.uk/another-kitchen/