Delia Smith Shortcrust Pastry Recipe
Delia Smith Shortcrust Pastry Recipe uses flour, cold butter, and water to create a buttery, crumbly dough ideal for sweet or savory baking.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring cups or kitchen scale
- Butter knife or pastry cutter
- Clean work surface
- Rolling Pin
- Cling film or wrap
- Baking dish or tart tin
Ingredients
- 225 g plain flour
- 110 g cold unsalted butter cubed
- Pinch of salt
- 2 –3 tablespoons cold water
Optional (for richer flavor):
- 1 teaspoon sugar for sweet pastry
- 1 egg yolk for extra richness
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the flour base
- Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and add a pinch of salt. If you are making a sweet pastry, you can add a teaspoon of sugar at this stage.
Step 2: Rub in the butter
- Add the cold cubed butter into the flour.
- Using your fingertips, gently rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- This step is key in the Delia Smith Shortcrust Pastry Recipe. The colder your butter, the better your texture will be.
Step 3: Add cold water
- Slowly add cold water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing gently with a knife or your hands until the dough starts to come together.
- Be careful not to overwork it. The dough should just hold together—not be sticky or wet.
Step 4: Form the dough
- Bring the dough together into a ball using your hands.
- Wrap it in cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This resting time allows the gluten to relax and the butter to firm up again.
Step 5: Roll out the pastry
- Lightly flour your surface and rolling pin.
- Roll the chilled dough evenly until it is large enough to fit your tart tin or baking dish.
- Gently lift and place it into your tin, pressing lightly into the corners.
Step 6: Chill again (important step)
- Place the lined tart tin back into the fridge for 10–15 minutes before baking. This helps prevent shrinking in the oven.
Step 7: Bake or fill as needed
- Depending on your recipe, you can either blind bake the pastry or fill it directly with your chosen ingredients.
Notes
- Always use cold butter straight from the fridge
- Don’t overwork the dough
- Add water slowly, not all at once
- Chill the dough before rolling
- Handle it as little as possible