How to...

How to prepare shortcrust pastry

Soft and crumbly, sweet shortcrust pastry, pasta frolla in Italian, is the base of many cakes and cookie recipes.

  • Time

    1 hour and 15 minutes

  • Difficulty

    Medium

  • Course

    The Basics

Ingredients

Ingredients for circa 2 lb of pastry dough:

  • 4 cups Italian "00" flour or all-purpose flour
  • ½ lb butter
  • ½ lb sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • lemon zests, grated to taste
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 pinch vanilla powder (or vanilla extract)

Preparation

1 hour and 15 minutes preparation



Step 1

Add the salt and vanilla to the flour. Pour the mixture out onto a flat work surface, shapping it into a well.

Step 2

Mix the sugar and butter together then add it to the center of the well, then add the egg yolks and lemon zest. Work the wet ingredients into the flour, mix well.

Step 3

Work the mixture until the dough is smooth, without over-kneading it.

Step 4

Wrap up the dough in a sheet of plastic wrap and place it in refrigerator to cool for at least 1 hour before use.

Chef's tips

The ingredients must be mixed together quickly so that they to not become too warm.