Learn how to make homemade sweet shortcrust pastry with just 4 basic ingredients. This simple recipe offers a delightful, buttery pastry perfect for pies, tarts, and other desserts.
With a 5-minute prep time and a foolproof method, you’ll never go back to store-bought again!
Take your desserts to a delicious new level with our homemade sweet shortcrust pastry recipe. It's so simple to make and the pie crust is perfect for sweet tarts and sweet pies like apple pie, lemon meringue pie, pecan pie, mince pies and more! Flaky, melt-in-your-mouth pastry has never been easier.
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Why You're Going To Love This Shortcrust Pastry
This sweet shortcrust pastry is a game-changer. Not only is it incredibly versatile and delicious, but it also:
- Making your own pastry tastes much better than store-bought versions
- This easy recipe requires only four basic ingredients: flour, sugar, butter, and water
- It is an affordable alternative to pre-made pastry
- Can be frozen for future use—wrap it in plastic or cling film and freeze it for up to a month
- It is easy to make using either conventional methods or Thermomix
What You Need
Making sweet short crust pastry is simple and affordable. Here’s everything you need to get started:
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.
- Plain Flour (also known as all-purpose flour)
- Caster Sugar (or superfine sugar)
- Cold Butter (either salted or unsalted)
- Iced Water (cold water is crucial for achieving a smooth dough)
And that's it!!
Equipment Required
While you can mix this dough by hand, using a food processor or Thermomix makes it much quicker and easier. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Mixing Bowl or any large bowl
- Food Processor or Thermomix (optional, but highly recommended)
- Rolling Pin
- Pie Tin, Pie Pan, Tart Pan or Tart Tin (preferably with a removable bottom for easy removal)
Step By Step Instructions
This easy shortcrust pastry recipe can be prepared in just a few steps. Whether you’re using a food processor or working by hand, follow these simple directions for a perfect pastry.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method!
Step 1 - Process The Dry Ingredients
The first step is to combine the flour, sugar, and cold butter in your food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
If you’re mixing by hand, rub the butter into the flour and sugar using your fingertips.
Step 2 - Add Water
Slowly add iced water and mix on low to medium speed until a dough forms. If the mixture seems too dry, add a little extra water until the dough holds together.
Step 3 - Knead Pastry
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently until it forms a smooth ball.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to rest.
Step 4 - Roll Out The Dough
Once the dough has rested, roll it out on a lightly floured, clean work surface to a thickness of about 3mm.
If you’re making a pie or tart that requires both a top and bottom layer of pastry, divide the dough into two portions and roll each separately.
Step 5 - Bake
Carefully drape the rolled-out dough over your tart tin or pie dish.
Bake the pastry in a preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes or until lightly golden.
NOTE: If you're not adding the pie/dessert filling immediately, then blind bake the sweet shortcrust pastry base. See Notes on Blind Baking below.
Expert Tips
- For best results, always use very cold, full-fat butter. Cold butter helps prevent the pastry from becoming greasy and ensures a flaky texture.
- If you're making savoury shortcrust pastry, simply omit the sugar—there’s no need for a replacement.
- Keep everything cold during preparation. Chill your butter until you’re ready to use it and add ice cubes to the water to keep it cold.
- Before rolling the dough, allow extra time to chill it so the butter can firm up, resulting in a beautifully flaky pastry. When ready, let the dough sit for 5-10 minutes to prevent cracks when rolling.
- Use a little flour on your rolling pin and work surface to prevent sticking. Roll the dough to about 3mm thick and ensure it’s about 4cm wider than your tart tin (more if the tin has deep sides). Lift the dough using a rolling pin for easy positioning.
- You can freeze uncooked sweet shortcrust pastry—just wrap the dough in plastic and freeze for up to a month. Thaw before using.
How To Blind Bake Pastry
Blind baking is a technique where the pastry is partially baked before adding the filling. This ensures the base holds its shape, prevents sogginess, and produces a beautifully flaky, golden crust.
- To blind bake, roll out the chilled dough and press it into your tin.
- Cover the pastry with baking paper and fill with ceramic baking beads, rice, or lentils to weigh it down.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, remove the weights and paper, and continue baking for another 10 minutes until the base is golden and firm.
- Then add your filling and top pastry (if needed), and bake until fully cooked.
FAQs
While butter gives the best flavor and flakiness, margarine can be used in a pinch. However, it may result in a slightly different texture and taste.
Yes! You can make and refrigerate the dough for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to a month.
Let the dough sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before rolling. This will prevent cracks.
Chill the dough thoroughly before baking and use baking weights while blind baking to help maintain the shape
Yes, you can substitute regular flour with a gluten-free flour blend, but the texture may vary slightly.
Related Recipes
Once you've made your own sweet shortcrust pastry, you'll never be able to go back to store-bought pastry again! Here's a few of my favourite scrumptious recipes for using homemade shortcrust.
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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.
Geraldine Ireland says
I've made made mine food processor was amazing
Lucy says
Fantastic!
ROY RICHES says
EASY PEASY THANK YOU
jodie says
Should I do a double quantity if making a pie that has a top and bottom?
Lucy says
Hi Jodie, if you're happy with a thin base and top, then this quantity will be sufficient. If you'd like it thicker, then I'd make 1.5 X the recipe.
Emanuel says
tried it today,without sugar,for meat pies...it's sure a classic...thanks for the recipe.
The first time that I logged in your page, and surely I'm going to follow your recipes.
Lucy says
That has made my day! Thank you so much!
Rae Winter says
I had never tackled gluten free pastry before - so did a lot of searching before I came up with yours, which I decided to try. Much easier than I anticipated- a great looking batch of mince pies produced for gluten free daughter many thanks.
Lucy says
Fantastic!
Maddie says
How far in advance can I make this?
Lucy says
You can keep the pastry wrapped in cling wrap in the fridge for 1-2 days (for longer storage, wrap and freeze).