- Shortcrust pastry
Shortcrust pastry is a type of
pastry often used for the base of atart orpie . It does not puff up duringbaking because it usually contains noleavening agent . It is possible to make shortcrust pastry withself-raising flour , however.Proportions
It is based on a "half-fat-to-flour" ratio. Fat (lard, butter or full-fat margarine) is rubbed into plain flour to create a loose mixture that is then bound using a small amount of
water , rolled out, then shaped and placed to create the top or bottom of aflan or pie.weet
Sweetcrust pastry is made with the addition of
sugar , which sweetens the mix and impedes thegluten strands, creating apastry that breaks up easily in the mouth..Techniques
In both sweetcrust and shortcrust pastry, care must be taken to ensure that fat and flour are blended thoroughly before liquid is added - this ensures that the flour granules are adequately coated with fat and are less likely to develop gluten. Overworking the dough is also a hazard. Overworking elongates the gluten strands, creating a product that is chewy, as opposed to 'short', or light and crumbly.
External links
* [http://www.shortcrustpastry.com/ Recipe from www.shortcrustpastry.com - Make Shortcrust pastry in 5 easy steps]
* [http://www.thefoody.com/baking/shortcrustpastry.html Shortcrust pastry recipe]
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