How long cook shortcrust pastry

Cracking in pastry: is due to the dough drying out. If the top layer loses moisture, it shrinks and then cracks. To prevent cracking, keep it covered with a piece of clean plastic film before baking or when storing. Spots on the surface of the baked pastry: too much water. Baking blind sometimes called pre-baking is the process of baking a pie crust or other pastry without the filling.

Blind baking a pie crust is necessary when it will be filled with an unbaked filling such as with pudding or cream pies , in which case the crust must be fully baked. Blind baking a pie crust calls for filling the bottom crust with pie weights to keep the pastry from puffing up in the oven.

Ready rolled pastry will go mouldy when it is past its best I know from past experience! A puff pastry that has gone bad will have undesirable changes in smell and appearance. The pastry can loose its original presentation and overall texture. Toss to coat with flour. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour, lifting it in the bowl as you do so to keep it light and cool. Continue until it looks like breadcrumbs.

Shake the bowl and any larger lumps of butter will come to the surface to rub in. Sprinkle in 2 tbsp cold water and mix with a round-ended knife until the mixture starts to come together. Gather the dough with your hands, wiping it round the bowl to pick up stray pieces.

Put the dough onto a work surface sprinkled very lightly with flour. Knead lightly to form a smooth ball. Sprinkle the rolling pin lightly with flour. Roll out the dough using short sharp strokes to avoid stretching, giving the dough a quarter turn each time you roll to keep the shape. Set the flan tin on the baking sheet. When the dough is about 5cm larger than the tin, lift it up draped over the rolling pin and lay it across the flan tin.

Chill for 30 mins. Fill the pastry case with a round of baking paper and add baking beans see tip to weigh it down. Bake for 15 mins, then carefully remove the paper and beans and cook the pastry for 5 mins more this is called baking blind. Carefully trim off the excess pastry using a small sharp knife and use as required, cooling if needed. Check regularly to ensure it does not burn. You can lay a sheet of aluminium foil on over any areas that look as though they may get over cooked.

This will prevent them from burning. Personal tools Log in. Cookery Info.