I absolutely love making AND eating tarts. They are one of the most versatile desserts out there. You can fill tarts with literally anything, and they taste delicious. The best bit of a tart is the crispy, sweet pastry that brings it all together.
Tarts can be made with many different pastries, but my favorite is the shortcrust pastry. It’s the simplest to make – all you need is 4 ingredients. And it compliments every filling perfectly.
The pastry is slightly sweet and adds the perfect crispy texture to desserts. I also love using this shortcrust pastry to create different shaped tarts because the dough is very easy to work with and can be molded easily.
The 4-ingredients In A Shortcrust Pastry
This is really one of those recipes that you will ALWAYS have ingredients for, cause it’s made with the simplest and most basic pantry ingredients – butter, sugar, egg, and flour. Everyone always has these at home, right?
Sometimes I bake it just to nibble on it throughout the day 😏. It pairs perfectly with a cup of tea or coffee, too!
A Few Tips For Working With Shortcrust Pastry
- Be careful not to overmix the dough when adding the flour. The flour should be JUST combined and the dough should just be holding its shape together. Overmixing the dough will lead to sticky dough that will be hard to work with,
- To roll the dough easily, place it between two sheets of baking paper before rolling it. This makes sure that the dough does not stick to the rolling pin while rolling.
- Always chill the dough after rolling it out. The pastry becomes soft very quickly, freezing the dough will help you work with it and shape it on your tart case or ring easily.
- You should also chill the dough after you shape it around your tart ring, this will help the dough hold its shape while baking.
- I would recommend using a perforated tart ring to make tarts. The holes in a perforated ring allow air to flow through the dough which leads to more even baking. This is the one that I use for making small tarts. And this one for big tarts.
Follow these tips, and you will have perfect tart shells every time!
You can also make the dough in bulk and freeze the dough for up to 2 months. This way, you can make a tart shell or shortcrust biscuits whenever you want!
Let’s learn how to make it!
PS: I always measure ingredients in grams, never in cups. Using a measuring scale is the only way to bake accurately. Cups are very unreliable and can give different measurements, so I would suggest you buy a measuring scale before you start baking! If you can’t get your hands on one, you can use the online tools for converting grams into cups, however, I do not guarantee their accuracy.
PPS: if you notice a * after any word, it means that there are additional tips about it after the recipe
Easy 4-Ingredient Short-Crust Pastry
Equipment
- Stand mixer or electric hand beater
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
- 260 gs unsalted butter, softened
- 200 gs caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 500 gs all-purpose flour
Instructions
- In a bowl of a stand or electric mixer, add the butter and sugar and whip it on high speed for 5-8 minutes until they are properly creamed together.260 gs unsalted butter, softened, 200 gs caster sugar
- Once that's done, add the eggs and whip on medium-high speed until there are no liquid streaks left in the batter and the eggs are properly incorporated in the batter.2 eggs
- Turn the mixer down to a slow speed and gradually start adding the flour. Mix until the flour is just incorporated into the dough. Make sure not to overmix, or your dough will become too sticky. The final dough should just hold it's shape together.500 gs all-purpose flour
- Transfer the dough to a baking paper, then place another sheet of baking paper on top. Roll the dough to 2mm thickness evenly, then let it chill in the freezer for 15 minutes. Freezing the dough allows it to hold it's shape when you shape it around your tart ring or pan.
- After chilling, cut and shape the dough as per your tart ring, then chill it for another 15 minutes. If you are not using a perforated tart ring, poke small holes on the base of the pastry with a fork to allow even baking. The holes also stop the pastry from rising while baking.
- Pre-heat the oven to 160 degree celcius, then bake the tart for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Bigger tarts might take a longer time
Notes
Storage:
The shortcrust pastry dough can be frozen for up to 2 months in an air-tight container.Tips & Tricks:
- Be careful not to overmix the dough when adding the flour. The flour should be JUST combined and the dough should just be holding its shape together. Overmixing the dough will lead to sticky dough that will be hard to work with,
- To roll the dough easily, place it between two sheets of baking paper before rolling it. This makes sure that the dough does not stick to the rolling pin while rolling.
- Always chill the dough after rolling it out. The pastry becomes soft very quickly, freezing the dough will help you work with it and shape it on your tart case or ring easily.
- You should also chill the dough after you shape it around your tart ring, this will help the dough hold its shape while baking.
- I would recommend using a perforated tart ring to make tarts. The holes in a perforated ring allow air to flow through the dough which leads to more even baking. This is the one that I use for making small tarts. And this one for big tarts.
That’s how simple it is to make a delicious tart shell for desserts! All you need is 4-ingredients and a little bit of time.
I must warn you though, once you make this tart shell, you will never stop 😉.
If you try this recipe, don’t forget to let me know how you liked it in the comments! And of course, share it with me on Instagram.
See you next time!
