Easy Shortcrust Pastry

1 1/2 cup unbleached plain flour (don’t worry too much about getting unbleached but it is better)
1/2 cup cake flour *
1 tsp salt
170g unsalted butter cut into small cubes
50g vegetable shortening (copha works well)
1/2 cup ice water

Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine.

Add the butter and pulse 5 - 6 times.

Add shortening and pulse until it resembles crumbs.

Add the ice water and pulse until you have a cohesive dough.

Remove the dough from the food processor and cut in half.

Shape each half into a disk.

Cover tightly in plastic.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using.

This will keep in the refrigerator for a few days and can also be frozen.

To make a sweet shortcrust, reduce the salt to a pinch of salt and add 2 tbs caster sugar.

General baking guidelines.

Shortcrust should be blind baked.

To do this, line your tin with pastry and trim.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, 1 hour is preferable.

Preheat the oven to 210 degrees celsius (fan-forced)

Use a fork to prick holes in the pastry.

Butter the shiny side of aluminium foil and place the buttered side on the pastry.

Pour rice or blind baking beads onto the foil to weigh down the pastry while it cooks.

For a 23cm tin, bake for 10-15 minutes, remove the rice and use the fork to prick some more holes in the pastry. Bake for 2 minutes for a partial bake or 4 minutes for a full bake.

For smaller tins (such as individual quiches or lemon tarts), use a fork to prick holes in the pastry, bake for 8-9 minutes with foil, remove the foil and bake for 2-3 minutes after piercing with holes for a second time.

* Cake Flour is a combination of plain flour and cornflour. To make 1 cup of cake flour, take 1 cup plain flour and remove 2 tbs of the plain flour and replace it with 2 tbs of cornflour.

When making small pies, roll your wedge of cold dough into a sphere and then roll flat into shape using a rolling pin.