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Basic shortcrust pastry recipe
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Basic shortcrust pastry recipe

Shortcrust dough can be used to make both sweet and savory pastries. It tastes tender, fluffy and buttery. I will show you the basic shortcrust pastry recipe with or without egg. There are also some variations and tips for making it at the top of the article.
Course Basic dough
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 30 cookies

Ingredients

for the shortcrust pastry with egg

  • 150 g butter room warm
  • 80 g powdered sugar
  • 1 egg
  • approx. 300 g flour
  • 1 pinch of salt

for the eggless shortcrust pastry

  • 200 g butter room warm
  • 80 g powdered sugar
  • approx. 300 g flour
  • 1 pinch of salt

Instructions

Preparation of the shortcrust pastry with egg

  • Beat softened butter, powdered sugar and salt for approx. 5 - 7 minutes to form a light and creamy mixture.
  • Add egg and beat for a further 1 - 2 minutes to form a homogeneous, creamy mixture.
  • Add flour in portions and knead briefly and quickly to form a very soft, just barely homogeneous dough.
  • Shape the dough into a ball, flatten it and place it in an airtight container in the fridge for about 1 hour.
  • Work the shortcrust dough into cookies, cake bases or other pastries on a floured work surface and bake according to the recipe.

Preparation of the eggless shortcrust pastry

  • Beat softened butter, powdered sugar and salt for approx. 5 - 7 minutes to form a light and creamy mixture.
  • Add flour in portions and knead briefly and quickly to form a very soft, just barely homogeneous dough.
  • Shape the dough into a ball, flatten it and place it in an airtight container in the fridge for about 1 hour.
  • Work the shortcrust dough on a floured work surface to make the desired pastries and bake it according to the recipe.

Notes

  • You can adjust the amount of powdered sugar to taste.
  • You can replace the egg with two egg yolks. This will make the shortcrust pastry even more tender.
  • The amount of flour specified may vary. Add as much flour to the butter mixture in portions until you have a very soft, but no longer mushy dough.
  • Knead the shortcrust dough briefly and work it as quickly as possible so that the butter does not melt.
  • To make the pastry taste even more tender, you can replace a small amount of flour with the same amount of cornstarch.
  • You can flavor classic shortcrust pastry with spices or lemon zest.
  • For chocolate shortcrust pastry, replace one part flour with the same amount of baking cocoa.
  • You can find out how to make shortcrust dough with cold ingredients or savory in the article above.
  • Note the detailed tips and tricks for making shortcrust pastry at the top of the article.