French Short Pastry

This recipe was given to me by a woman that makes savory tarts in a small town in the south of France. I found her crust and process to be the most delicious, simple and logical of all the crusts I’ve ever made.

Step: 1

In a food processor, mix together flour and salt. Add butter, and process until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time. Pulse briefly until dough begins to form in clumps. Remove dough from processor onto a floured surface, and form into a ball. Allow dough to rest at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes before rolling out.

Step: 2

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to fit pie pan. Place in pan, and crimp edge. Prick the bottom of dough several times with a fork. Place in freezer for 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Step: 3

Fill crust with beans, or use pie weights. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove pie weights, and bake another 5 minutes. If necessary, cover with foil to prevent overbrowning.

Per Serving: 150 calories; protein 2g; carbohydrates 14.3g; fat 9.4g; cholesterol 24.4mg; sodium 31mg.

The best flavour of the flour could make a real difference to your bread. Different brands do vary. Extra-strong or Canadian flours, which are naturally higher in gluten, may give you a best rise than standard bread flours – especially if you’re making wholemeal dough , which doesn’t always getting bigger as well as clear bread.

To make this in a dough , add all the menus to your breadmaker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

A bread first rising can be make in the fridge overnight . This slows down the time it takes to rise to double its size, giving it a deeper flavour. It’s also a great limit , as you can start it yesterday , then finish it off the next day.