Shortcrust Pastry

This is a quick and easy recipe for shortcrust pastry, used as a base for tart recipes.

Shortcrust Pastry

Ingredients:
200g white flour
140g butter
1 or 2 tablespoons water or milk
Tartlet tins

Method:
Sieve the flour from a height onto a large clean tray or work surface. This enables air to become trapped within the flour and makes it lighter.
Cut the butter into cubes and work them into the flour with your fingers until you have a fine crumbly mixture.
Add one tablespoon of water or milk to the mixture and work it till the dough sticks together and you end up with a ball of dough.
If one tablespoon is not enough, then add the rest of the water or milk and work the dough.
Flour it lightly to prevent it from sticking to the surface.
Make sure that you do not work the dough too much or it will become elastic and chewy.
Wrap the dough in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for half and hour.

When you are ready to work your dough, flour your work surface lightly and roll out the dough to about half a centimetre thickness.
Cut into rounds that will fit into the tartlet tins.
Butter the tartlet tins and place the pastry inside.
Cut the edges of the pastry with a sharp knife if too big for the tins.

Fill the pastry with a filling of your choice.

Note: You can also use some of the dough to make the top part of the tart, in which case roll it out, cut into rounds, prick the centre with a fork (to release steam when cooking) and place it over the tart. Alternatively, cut the rolled-out dough into strips and place them criss-cross over the top of the tart.
Brush some milk over the top for glazing.

Pop into the oven at 200 degrees centigrade for 15-20 minutes or until golden.