Four ingredients. Fifteen minutes of actual work. That's it - that's the whole sweet shortcrust pastry recipe.
No eggs, no fuss, and it works in the food processor or the Thermomix. I use this exact pastry for my Classic Lemon Tart and my Vanilla Custard Tarts - once you've made it once you'll never buy the frozen stuff again.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
🥧 Recipe: Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
⏰ Ready In: 5 mins prep + 30 mins chilling + 20 mins baking
🍽️ Makes: Enough for 1 pie or tart (base and lid)
🔥 Calories: See the recipe card below for full nutrition info
🧂 Main Ingredients: Flour, sugar, butter, water
🌱 Dietary Info: Vegetarian, egg-free (Thermomix method included)
❤️ Why You'll Love It: Only 4 ingredients, no eggs required, and totally foolproof
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
"I am 74, like to cook a bit for my wife, and found this recipe - it's great, so simple and great tasting."
Russ Jex
Russ isn't wrong - this is about as simple as pastry gets. Whether you're lining a tart tin or topping a pie, this dough rolls out beautifully every time.
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Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- Just 4 ingredients - flour, sugar, butter and water, no eggs needed
- Works for sweet AND savoury bakes. Leave out the sugar and it's a savoury shortcrust
- Freezer-friendly - make it ahead and freeze the uncooked dough for up to a month
- Both a Thermomix method and a conventional (food processor) method included
Sweet Shortcrust Pastry Ingredients
Here's the beauty of this recipe - you only need 4 things you've probably already got in the pantry: plain flour, caster sugar, cold butter and icy water. No eggs, no fancy ingredients. Head down to the recipe card below for the exact quantities.
Variations
- Savoury Shortcrust: Leave out the sugar completely for a savoury pie or quiche base
- Citrus Zest: Add a teaspoon of finely grated lemon or orange zest to the dry ingredients
- Vanilla: Stir a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste through with the water for extra flavour
- Want it gluten-free? A 1:1 gluten-free flour blend works, though the texture will be a touch more crumbly
How To Make Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
- Step 1: Process the dry ingredients. Place the flour, sugar and butter into a food processor and process until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Step 2: Add the water and knead. Slowly add the icy water until a smooth dough forms (add a splash more if it's too crumbly), then tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently into a ball.
- Step 3: Chill. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Step 4: Roll it out. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about 3mm thick. Need a base AND a lid? Divide the dough in two before rolling.
- Step 5: Line your tin. Gently press the pastry into your pie or tart tin, trimming any excess from the edges.
- Step 6: Bake. Bake in a 180°C oven for about 20 minutes, until lightly golden and crisp. Filling the tin later? Blind bake it first - see the tips below.
Team Thermomix? Place the flour, sugar and butter into the TM bowl and mix for 10 seconds on Speed 6 (or until it resembles fine breadcrumbs). Add the icy water and knead for 1 minute on Interval speed, or until the dough comes together (add a little extra water if it's too crumbly). Then follow steps 3-6 above exactly the same way.
Recipe Tips
- Always use cold butter - it stops the pastry going greasy and keeps it flaky
- Making a savoury version? Just leave out the sugar, no need to replace it with anything
- Let the dough sit at room temp for 5-10 minutes before rolling if it's cracking - straight from the fridge it can be too firm
- To blind bake: line the tin, cover with baking paper and fill with baking weights (or rice/lentils). Bake 10 minutes, remove the weights and paper, then bake another 10 minutes until golden
- Storage: the baked pastry keeps in an airtight container for a couple of days. Uncooked dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen (wrapped in plastic) for up to a month - just thaw before rolling
Sweet Shortcrust Pastry FAQs
You can in a pinch, but butter gives you the best flavour and the flakiest texture. Margarine will work, it'll just taste and feel a little different.
Yes! Make the dough and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze it for up to a month.
It's too cold. Let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before rolling and it should roll out without cracking.
Chill the dough thoroughly before baking, and use baking weights while blind baking to help it hold its shape.
Yes, swap in a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. The texture will be a touch more crumbly, but it still works well.
More Pie & Tart Recipes
Once you've got this pastry down pat, here are a few of my favourite ways to use it:
How To Make Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
Ingredients
- 300 g (2 cups) plain flour
- 3 tbs caster sugar superfine sugar
- 150 g butter cold and chopped
- 2-3 tbs icy cold water see notes
Instructions
Conventional Method
- Place the flour, sugar and butter into a food processor and process it until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Slowly adding the iced water until a smooth dough forms (add a little extra iced water if the mixture is too crumbly).
- Knead the dough into a ball on a lightly floured surface.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and place it into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- When you're ready to use your dough, roll it out on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin until it is 3mm thick.
- If you're making a pie or dessert that has both a pastry bottom and top, it's best to divide your dough into 2 and roll them out separately.
- Bake the pastry in an oven preheated to 180 degrees celsius for approximately 20 minutes or until lightly golden and crisp.
- Please note that if you're not adding the pie/dessert filling immediately, place a sheet of baking paper over the bottom of the pastry and fill with baking weights or rice (uncooked) before placing into the oven. Remove the paper and weights halfway through the baking time.
Thermomix Method
- Place the flour, sugar and butter into the TM bowl and mix for 10 seconds on Speed 6 (or until it resembles fine breadcrumbs).
- Add the iced water and knead for 1 minute on Interval speed, or until the dough comes together (add a little extra iced water if the mixture is too crumbly).
- Knead the dough into a ball on a lightly floured surface.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and place it into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- When you're ready to use your dough, roll it out on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin until it is 3mm thick.
- If you're making a pie or dessert that has both a pastry bottom and top, it's best to divide your dough into 2 and roll them out separately.
- Bake the pastry in an oven preheated to 180 degrees celsius for approximately 20 minutes or until lightly golden and crisp.
- Please note that if you're not adding the pie/dessert filling immediately, place a sheet of baking paper over the bottom of the pastry and fill with baking weights or rice (uncooked) before placing into the oven. Remove the paper and weights halfway through the baking time.
Notes
- Use full fat butter that is very cold. Chilled butter will stop the pastry from becoming greasy.
- For savoury shortcrust pastry, simply omit the sugar (there's no need to replace it with anything).
- Try to keep all of your ingredients cold during the entire preparation process. Keep the butter chilled until you're ready to use it. Add ice to water to chill it even further.
- Chill the dough before using it - this allows the butter to become firm again.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and leave it for 5-10 minutes before rolling it out (this will stop the edges of the pastry from cracking when you roll it out).
- Add a little flour to your rolling pin and board when rolling out the dough (to stop it from sticking).
- Roll the pastry out about 3mm thick, and 4cm (1.5 inches) wider than the tart tin you're lining, or even larger if the tin is deep sided.
- Drape the pastry over the rolling pin to lift and help you position it over the tin.
- If you're not adding the pie/dessert filling immediately, then blind bake the shortcrust pastry base.
- Uncooked sweet shortcrust pastry can be frozen - just wrap a ball of dough in plastic wrap and pop in the freezer for up to one month. Allow to thaw and it's ready to use!
- Blind baking is the process of par-cooking pastry before adding filling and continuing to cook. This keeps the pastry in shape when filling is added, stops the pastry from going soggy.
- To blind bake - roll the chilled dough out and press into the baking tin. Press a piece of baking paper (greaseproof paper) onto the top of the pastry. Fill the base and sides with ceramic baking beads (can be purchased from supermarkets or kitchenware stores). If you don't have baking weights, you can use uncooked rice or lentils instead.
- Blind bake the pastry for about 10-15 minutes then remove the weights and parchment paper and continue to bake until base is firm and lightly golden.
- When ready to fill the pie base, add the filling and top pastry (if covering your pie) and bake until the filling is cooked and the top pastry is golden.
Russ Jex says
I am 74 like to coo, a bit gor my wife and found this recipe, it is great, so simple and great tasting.
Thank you very much
Russ