Recipe video above. This is a recipe for quiche and pie crusts, both of which are made using shortcrust pastry. This is a great, EASY classic quiche crust. Quiche crusts are just made with shortcrust pastry. Made using a food processor, very slightly adapted from this recipe by Emeril Lagasse.Inactive chill time: 1 hour. This is the recipe I've been using for years and years, and it has never failed me! Makes pastry for 1 x 23cm / 9" pie dish or tart tin (serves 8 - 12 people).
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time35 minutesmins
Total Time50 minutesmins
Course: Baking, Mains
Cuisine: French
Keyword: How to cook frozen shortcrust pastry, Quiche Crust, Shortcrust pastry
Pulse 10 times or until it looks like breadcrumbs.
With the motor running on low, pour 2.5 tbsp of water into the tube feeder.
Turn up to high and blitz for 30 seconds or until it turns into a ball of dough. Initially it will look like breadcrumbs, then it will turn into a ball of soft dough - some random escaped bits is fine. If it doesn't look like its coming together at 20 seconds, add another 1/2 tbsp of water. Don't blitz longer than 30 seconds at most.
Form a disc, wrap in cling wrap. If there are escaped crumble bits, that's fine - just press them in. Refrigerate for 1 - 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 200C/390F (standard) or 180C/350F (fan forced)
Sprinkle work surface with flour, unwrap dough and place on the flour. Sprinkle top with flour, then roll out into a 27cm/11" round.
Gently roll the pastry so it wraps around the rolling pin.
Unroll it over the quiche pan or pie dish - 23cm / 9".
Press the pastry into the edges of the quiche pan, patching up edges if required (if pastry doesn't quite reach top of rim).
Roll the rolling pin across the top to cut off the excess pastry.
Optional extra "safe measure" refrigeration - 15 minutes. See (Note 2).
Place a large piece of parchment paper over the pastry, then fill with baking beads or lots of rice or dried beans to weigh it down. (Note 3)
Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from oven.
Turn oven DOWN to 180C/350F (or 160C/320F fan).
Use excess paper to CAREFULLY remove hot beads, then return to oven for 10 minutes or until base is light golden.
The pastry will not be 100% cooked, it finishes cooking with the filling. It's cooked enough so the crust will not go soggy.
Notes
1. Optional extra refrigeration - The key characteristic of shortcrust pastry is that it's flaky and tender. In order to achieve this, the dough needs to have little bits of cold butter in it when it goes in the oven. If the butter is melted, then the pastry won't be as flaky (but still very tasty!).So if it's warm where you are, and it takes you longer than 5 - 7 minutes to roll out the dough, press into tin and get it into the fridge, refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes or so before baking.2. If using store bought frozen shortcrust pastry, you will need 2 sheets (standard Australian square sheets). Thaw then line the 2 sheets together so they are overlapping slightly and press down firmly to seal. Then press into the pan and start from step 10. 3. Weights stops base from puffing up and helps reduce pastry shrinkage4. Different measures in different countries - The measures in this recipe work with both US and metric (rest of world!) measures.5. General - this recipe does not have egg in it (some recipes do), which makes it crisper, more flaky and more buttery, yet soft enough to cut through with a fork with barely any effort. Egg is a binder and it makes the dough tougher.6. FILLING: If you want to make your own filling, use this as a guide:
Standard quiche tin (about 23cm / 9" diameter, 2.5 - 3cm / 1 - 1.25" deep) - use the cream, eggs, salt and cheese in the Quiche Lorraine recipe, then your add ins of choice
Deeper quiche tart tin (about 23cm / 9" diameter, 3.5 - 4 cm / 1.5 - 1.7" deep) - use the cream, eggs, salt and cheese the Salmon Quiche recipe.