Lesson 7 at Maxine’s Junior Chef’s College delves into the science of pastry , focusing on the creation of shortcrust and use of puff pastry. Maxine will learn the intricacies of making a rich shortcrust pastry, following a recipe from Leith’s School of Food & Wine that emphasizes techniques like cutting in cold butter and avoiding overworking the dough, to create a flawlessly rich and buttery base for tarts and pies.
This shortcrust pastry will be used to create a quiche Lorraine in this lesson. While the shortcrust rests and chills, Maxine will prepare puff pastry palmiers for a delightful, flaky contrast in pastry texture.
Rich Shortcrust Pastry🥧
This recipe from Leith’s School of Food & Wine, guides you through creating a flawlessly rich and buttery shortcrust pastry. Master the techniques of cutting in cold butter, avoiding overworking the dough, and achieving a perfectly blind-baked base – essential for any number of delicious tarts and pies.
Ingredients
- 200 g flour
- 100 g cold cubed butter
- 2 egg yolks
- 2-2½ tbsp water plus more as needed
- Pinch of salt
- Dried beans or ceramic baking beans
- Greaseproof paper
Instructions
- Cut in the butter: Add the cubed cold butter to the flour. Using two knives in a scissor-like action, cut the butter into the flour until it resembles small peas. This helps keep the mixture cool.
- Rub until breadcrumb stage: Gently rub the flour and butter together with your fingertips, occasionally shaking the bowl to lift larger lumps of butter to the surface.
- Add wet ingredients: Mix the egg yolks and water. Add 2-2 1/2 tbsp of the mixture to the crumb and stir with a knife to distribute evenly. Add more liquid to dry areas, but avoid adding too much.
- Form the pastry: Quickly bring the pastry together with your hands, forming it into a flat disc. Avoid overworking. Wrap in cling film and chill for 20-30 minutes.
- Roll out the pastry: Lightly dust your work surface and rolling pin. Roll the pastry using short, sharp strokes, turning it 90° after each roll to prevent stretching. Roll to a thickness of about 3mm.
- Transfer to tin: Carefully transfer the pastry to the flan tin using the rolling pin. Trim excess pastry.
- Chill again: Cover the pastry with cling film and chill until ready to use.
- Blind bake: Create a cartouche slightly larger than your tin. Line the pastry case with it and add a layer of dried beans.
- Bake: Bake for 15-20 minutes in the upper third of the oven. Check if the sides are set and less translucent. Remove the beans and bake in the lower third for 5 minutes, or until the base is dry and firm.