You can go in any direction with this basic pie crust recipe. You can use it for a whole lot of different things; think about making a perfect pie crust with delicious filling or you could use this pie crust recipe for making cookies as well!
I think this is one of the most versatile basic recipes for a homemade pie crust recipe. You can really use shortcrust pastry for all sorts of things. I usually use it as a tart base for both large and small tarts, but it also makes great cookies.
The traditional French recipe uses almond flour and icing sugar for the dough, which is kind of how I make my tartelettes. However (to keep it as simple as possible), I don’t use it for my shortcrust pastry base recipe, and I still get delicious results and a beautiful flaky crust. Today I will be sharing my tips and tricks for creating this easy pie crust recipe.
So with this basic shortcrust pastry recipe, you can make all kinds of things but I’ll be sticking to how to use this for a pie crust. I will be coming back with tips on other uses later.
If you want to use your shortcrust pastry for a tart, it is essential to bake the crust blind first. The purpose of blind baking is to prevent the base from rising while baking plus it also ensures that the crust bakes properly even with a wet filling. Also if the pie crust rises too much it won’t leave a whole lot of space for the filling.
There are several fillings you can use to blind bake your pie crust base:
In addition to that you will need some parchment paper as you do not want to place the rice or other fillings directly on top of the dough. You crumble the parchment paper and place it on the bottom of the crust. Make sure it also covers the sides. Now place your pie weights on top of the paper and smooth it out a bit. You want all of the sides to be covered with the weights.
In addition to the above you also need a pie dish or a pie pan or whatever other mould you would like to bake your tart in. A rolling pin and plastic wrap will also come in handy. As you can see you use pretty simple ingredients for making a pie crust dough. Yes, you can definitely buy shortcrust pastry in the grocery stores these days (in the US at least), but there is nothing better than your own homemade pie crust. Trust me on this!
You can knead the dough by hand in a large bowl or you can use a stand mixer or a pastry blender. Don’t overwork the dough as you do not want the dough to get too hot. You want to have a firm and pliable dough. It helps if you shape the dough into a large circle before you wrap it in plastic. That will make it easier to roll out after cooling.
In the recipe below, you will read that you should let the shortcrust pastry rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour. This is not only because the dough will cool and hold its shape better during baking. You let the dough rest in the fridge so that the gluten can relax, resulting in a deliciously crispy and flaky pie crust.
If you’re too impatient and don’t let the dough rest long enough, there is a good chance the dough will shrink in the oven, making your pie crust look unattractive and uneven. Plus there is also a good chance that the filling will spill over if the crust has shrunk too much.
I think the most famous pie with a shortbread base is the lemon meringue pie. I still think this is by far one of the most delicious pies out there. I don’t have the lemon meringue online just yet but I do have the recipe for lemon curd ready to go!
Cherry pie filling (perfect for filling your pie crust with!)
I have a lot more pie recipes coming up shortly so stay tuned for more delicious recipes coming up soon! (Pumpkin pie recipe coming up soon!)
You can use this pie dough recipe both with a fully baked crust and a cold filling or for use with a filling that needs to be baked, like an apple pie. Follow the recipe directions in the recipe card for full instructions.
Prepare the dough according to the recipe up to step three and use cookie cutters or pastry cutters to cut cute cookie shapes out of the dough. Place the cookies on a baking sheet (not too close together) and bake at 180˚C (350˚F) for 12-15 minutes, depending on size.
Absolutely, that will work great. The shortcrust pastry is actually a kind of cookie dough, which is why it can be stored in the refrigerator for several days (wrapped well in aluminum foil or plastic wrap). You can even store it in the freezer for up to three months. If necessary, cut the dough into thin slices before freezing, so it will thaw more easily.
Most likely, you did not let the dough rest or did not let it rest enough. As a result, the gluten has not been able to relax and the dough shrinks during baking. Another reason this could happen is because you might have mixed too much butter into the dough so the edges of your tart will start to curl.
Use a fork to poke holes in the bottom crust before putting it in the oven. Make sure the holes are evenly distributed across the base. This should prevent the pie crust from cracking.
I usually use a round loose-bottomed tin, but you can also use a rectangular tin, as I did for the strawberry pie. Using the ‘Convert Recipe’ button on the Recipe Card, you can easily convert the recipe to fit any baking pan. If you prefer to stick to the recipe below, it is enough dough to fill the below baking pie tin :
Well you could if you wanted to but it will be fairly sweet. The ratio for a pie crust that is used for savory recipes is slighty different and won’t use sugar. I will be sure to post the savory pie crust recipe soon too.
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Welcome to Laura’s Bakery! You’ve come to the right place for the most delicious baked goods and appetizers. With my easy recipes for home bakers I will show you that baking is fun and delicious.
Have fun baking!
