Shortcrust pastry

Here is the recipe for shortcrust pastry, a basic sweet dough typical of Italian pastry, perfect for tarts, cookies, and various sweet treats.

Ingredients

• 300 g of type 00 flour
• 150 g of cold butter, cut into pieces
• 150 g of powdered sugar
• 1 whole egg and 1 yolk
• A pinch of salt
• Grated zest of 1 lemon (optional)

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, sift the flour with a pinch of salt and make a well in the center.
2. In the middle, add the pieces of cold butter, powdered sugar, and grated lemon zest.
3. Start working with the tips of your fingers until a sandy mixture is obtained.
4. Add the whole egg and the yolk, and start to knead quickly until a homogeneous dough is formed.
5. Form a ball with the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before using it.

Once rested, roll it out on a lightly floured work surface and you can use it for the base of your tart or to make cookies. Remember that for cookies and tarts, the shortcrust pastry should always be baked in a preheated oven, at a temperature of about 180 °C, until golden brown.

Curiosity

Shortcrust pastry is one of the basic recipes in pastry, and it’s important not to overwork it to prevent it from becoming elastic due to the gluten in the flour. Also, letting the dough rest in the refrigerator allows the butter to solidify, making the rolling out easier and less sticky.