Discover the secret to perfect shortcrust pastry with golden ratio

How to make the perfect shortcrust pastry? It’s simpler than you might think, thanks to a classic recipe that even a novice can follow to create a wonderfully light and flaky shortcrust pastry. Discover the golden ratio and bake the most delightful apple pies and plum cakes your family will love.

Preparing shortcrust pastry isn't rocket science; anyone who adheres to the basic rule can attest to this. When baking, it's crucial not to eyeball the ingredients – ensure everything is measured precisely so your pastry doesn't turn out too hard, too soft, insufficiently fluffy, or overly risen.

You must follow the golden ratio to create the perfect shortcrust pastry for apple pie or plum cake. That's the key. What does this mean? Simply put, the ratio of sugar to butter to flour should be 1:2:3. For example, for 100 grams of sugar, you will need 200 grams of butter and 300 grams of flour.

Pay attention to the details. Always mix the flour with cold butter, as using warm butter will cause the flour to absorb the fat too quickly, resulting in a rock-hard bake. Fine sugar or icing sugar is preferred for sugar as it dissolves more easily. The best flour for making shortcrust pastry is coarse wheat flour.

It's also worth considering egg yolks, which are optional but often included in shortcrust pastry. Hard-boiled egg yolks make the pastry crumblier, while raw eggs make the dough easier to shape when passed through a sieve. Like the fat, the egg yolks should be cold.

Ingredients:

• 300 grams of coarse wheat flour
• 200 grams of cold butter
• 100 grams of fine sugar or icing sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 800 grams of plums, quartered

Preparation:

1. Combine the flour with the cold butter by chopping the mixture with a knife. Work quickly and efficiently to prevent the butter from warming up, negatively affecting the shortcrust pastry. Then, add the sugar and knead the dough. Your hands must be cool as well.
2. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in cling film, and refrigerate it for 60 minutes.
3. After chilling, divide the dough in half. Roll out one part and line the prepared tin with it. Prick the pastry all over with a fork to prevent it from rising. Don’t sprinkle too much flour on the rolling surface, as this can make the dough hard.
4. Place the quartered plums snugly on the pastry and sprinkle with cinnamon.
5. To cover the plums with the remaining part of the shortcrust pastry, tear pieces of dough and place them on top of the fruit.
6. Refrigerate the pastry again for about 30 minutes.
7. Bake the pastry in an oven preheated to 180 degrees Celsius (about 350 degrees Fahrenheit) for 50 minutes without convection, using the top-bottom mode.
8. Allow the finished pastry to cool before serving.