Easy shortcrust pastry for all you tarts and pies...

Shortcrust Pastry Dough

INGREDIENTS

1. 2 1/4 cups (340 g) all-purpose flour
2. 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted cold butter, finely diced
3. 6 tbsp (90 mL) ice water OR sour cream OR plain yogurt
4. 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) salt

PREPARATION (Roll mouse over icons below to see enlarged images)

1. In a food processor bowl, place the flour and salt.
2. Add the butter cubes.
3. Blend until fully combined (until no more large lumps of butter are visible anymore).
4. Gradually add the cold water, sour cream or yogourt a little bit at the time.
5. Blend between each addition and stop as soon as the dough starts to come together.
6. Transfer over a lightly floured baking paper sheet.
7. Split the resulting paste in two equal parts.
8. Assemble each part into a ball with your hands and flatten it with a flouered rolling pin to a thickness of about 1/8 inch (3 to 4 mm), enough to reach a round shape of a 9 inches (23cm) dic. Cut the edges to shape the final disc.
9. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
10. On a floured work surface or between two sheets of parchment paper, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch (3 to 4 mm). Use the dough to make a pie or pie with two crusts or to line 2 pie plates 9 to 10 inches (23 to 25 cm) in diameter.