Sweet + Savoury Shortcrust Pastry.

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Guys, I am in love with homemade pastry.

Making it, rolling it, baking it, eating it - I love it.
I honestly cannot remember the last time that we had shop-bought pastry in the freezer.

Once you've made and tasted the deliciousness that is homemade pastry, well, I'm afraid there is no going back. You'll look for any excuse to whip up a batch of the stuff, fill it with some seasonal glut (in my case, cherries!), egg-wash it and bake!

This pastry is buttery, flaky and super addictive. There are no weird additives and preservatives - only five simple ingredients that I bet are in your kitchen right this second.

This pastry also keeps in the fridge very well for a week and best news, you can freeze it. You can use it for either sweet or savoury pies. That way, you can have pie whenever you like and all will be well with the world.

{We must have a pie. Stress cannot exist in the presence of a pie}
- David Mamet -

Pastry, previously: cheat's puff pastry, cheese and onion pasties, hot water crust pastry, treacle tart.

A Simple List of Ingredients:

1. Salt

2. Sugar (for sweet pies only)

3. Plain Flour

4. Unsalted Butter

5. Water

Bismillah, let's begin!

First job, slice up 225 grams Unsalted Butter into cubes and put into the fridge until cold.

Measure out 250ml Water and put in a few ice cubes.

To make the pastry, all you need is a large, wide bowl. You could also use a food processor.

Into it, place 1/2 teaspoon Salt.

Along with 1 tablespoon Sugar. If you are making this pastry for a savoury pie, leave the sugar out.

The flour we use is plain flour. There is no need for shortcrust pastry to rise so we don't add any raising agents like baking powder.

Into the bowl, place 315 grams Plain Flour.

Grab a spoon and mix everything together.

Then, take the butter out of the fridge.

And, throw it in.

Toss the butter in the flour and using your fingertips, crumble and rub the butter into the flour.

Keep going until the butter is in small and large chunks. Don't worry, it doesn't have to be perfect.

Take the iced water and add it in stages.

Use your hands or a spatula to mix the water in.

You won't need all the water. Add enough until the mixture is slightly sticky and beginning to come together.

Tip the dough in all its scraggly glory onto a surface ...

... and using your hands, bring it together into a round disc.

And, that is it. Shortcrust pastry done! This recipe will make enough pastry for 1 double-crust pie or 2 single-crust pies.

Because I used mine to make a double-crust pie, I sliced my pastry in half.

Shaped each half into a round disc and wrapped in clingfilm.

Like so.

Place the pastry into the fridge for at least 1 hour before using. It will keep in the fridge, wrapped, for about a week and you could even freeze it.

Full Written Recipe:

Sweet + Savoury Shortcrust Pastry.

Prep Time: About 15 minutes.

Serves: Makes 2 pies with a single crust, 1 double-crust pie, 1 large slab pie.

Ingredients

½ teaspoon Salt

1 tablespoon Sugar (leave out for savoury pastry)

315 grams Plain Flour

225 grams Unsalted Butter, cubed and very cold

250ml Water, with a few ice cubes dropped in

Method

Into a large bowl, place the salt, sugar (only if making sweet pastry) and plain flour. Give it a mix.

Add the cold, cubed butter. Using your fingertips, crumble and rub the butter into the flour until you get a few small chunks and a few large chunks. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

Add the iced water in stages, mixing with a spatula or your hands, until the mixture is slightly sticky and beginning to come together. It’s better to add less water than too much.

Tip the dough onto a surface and bring it together.

Form into a round disc. Keep it as one or slice them in half like I did and wrap each half in clingfilm.

Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour and then use as you would shop-bought shortcrust sweet pastry – in sweet pies, tarts, and the like.

The dough will be fine wrapped up in the fridge for a few days. You could also freeze it. Before using, take it out about 15-20 minutes to let it soften a little and make rolling out easier.

{Adapted from Smitten Kitchen}

This Time One Year Ago:

Peruvian Chicken Stir-Fry with Oven Fries

This Time Two Years Ago:

Olive Cheese Puffs

Keep me in your duas, please, and make a batch of homemade pastry,

Wasalaam!