How to make Shortcrust Pastry

If you want to get into baking, knowing how to make pastry at home is a must! Here are my directions for my shortcrust pastry recipe, using the following ingredients:

• 200g Plain Flour
• 115g Unsalted Butter
• 1 Egg Yolk
• Pinch of Salt

1. Firstly, put 200g of Plain flour into a mixing bowl along with a pinch of Salt, then whisk it to save sieving.
2. Next, cube up 115g worth of unsalted Butter, stick it in with the Flour and the Salt and work the mixture between your fingers (until it starts to resemble fine breadcrumbs).
3. Separate out your Egg Yolk, stick it in a separate bowl then whisk it with 2 tablespoons worth of cold Water. Then chuck it into the mixing bowl and mix with a knife until all of the ingredients are combined.
4. Using your hands, knead the dough into a ball, wrap it in clingfilm then stick it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill.
5. After 30 minutes, take the dough out of the fridge, flour a work surface, get yourself a rolling pin, and start rolling out your pastry.
6. Roll it out to just under the thickness of a one pound coin, cooking on 180 degrees centigrade and baking until golden brown.

And that’s how you make pastry. Check out recipe on how to make a basic sponge.