Shortcrust Pastry

Pasta frolla | tortaoragione.it

This is the best shortcrust recipe I tried so far. As I am writing this post I don’t own a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, so I am making the dough by hand.
Should I get a stand mixer in the future my preferences might change.

I am no shortcrust pastry expert but one thing I understood: it is tricky. The final results change due to the ingredients as well as the order in which you add them up. And of course how long you work the dough. Another important factor is the room temperature. The main rule is to not overwork the dough. The less, the better.

The following is a generic shortcrust pastry.

Shortcrust Pastry

Prep Time25 minutes
Resting time3 hours

Ingredients

  • 200 g butter 7 oz
  • 135 g confectioner sugar 4.8 oz
  • 53 g eggs approx one large egg (1.9 oz)
  • 30 g honey 1.1 oz
  • 335 g flour 11.8 oz
  • 2 g salt 0.07 oz
  • 6 g dry yeast 0.2 oz
  • grated lemon zest approx ½ lemon
  • tip of a tsp of powdered vanilla bourbon optional

Instructions

  • Place the butter in cubes, still cold, in a large bowl together with the confectioner sugar and the lemon zest.
    Shortcrust pastry | tortaoragione.it
  • Work quickly the ingredients with your fingertips.
    Shortcrust pastry | tortaoragione.it
  • Add the egg together with salt and honey.
    Shortcrust pastry | tortaoragione.it
  • Keep mixing with your fingertips.
    Shortcrust pastry | tortaoragione.it
  • Finally add the flour and yeast sifted together twice.
    Shortcrust pastry | tortaoragione.it
  • Knead the dough briefly and create a flat brick.
    Shortcrust pastry | tortaoragione.it
  • Wrap in film and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before using it.
    Shortcrust pastry | tortaoragione.it

Notes

Many recipes suggest to use a softer (but still malleable) butter. I personally prefer the butter cold. It also depends on the time of the year and room temperature but it is usually enough to take the butter out of the fridge while I weight the other ingredients.
Lemon zest and vanilla can be used or omitted, both and singularly, depending on the needs.
Did you try this recipe?Mention @tortaoragione and tag #tortaoragione!

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