Flaky Pastry Shell

A tender pastry shell with crisp and flaky texture for sweet and savory fillings. An empty pastry shell gives you opportunity for endless creativity.


This is a basic recipe on a crispy and flaky pie dough using short dough method with few ingredients; flour ,fat and egg. This pie crust has a buttery and nice flavor while the egg works as a binder and provides crispiness and flakiness which goes well to certain types of chocolate and almond based as well as savory fillings. A good pastry shell depends on how it is processed while making it. It is important for the ingredients to be cold and only mixed until combined. If using hands, only use the fingertips and work quickly because an overworked dough will result in a tough dough and a hard crust instead of the tenderness that is characteristic. Also too much flour can create a hard crust, therefore no flour or very less should be used while rolling out the dough.

Makes 3 small 15 cm tart shells or 1 large 24-26 cm tart shell

I n g r e d i e n t s

3 dl allpurpose flour
150 g butter or margarine
1 egg

By hand

1. Put the flour in a bowl or on the baking surface.
2. Cut the butter in cubes and put them on the flour
3. Using a knife cut the butter finely into the flour or crumble to a grainy mass using your fingertips
4. Add the egg and work it quickly to a dough

By kitchen machine (use blades)

1.Put the flour in the mixing bowl
2. Cut the butter in cubes and add them to the flour
3. Blend for a few seconds until it turns to a grainy mass
4. Add the egg and blend for another few seconds until the dough comes together and forms a ball

5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap/aluminium foil and press it shape it round or rectangular
6. Let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, preferably for a longer time

Storage: 5-7 in refrigerator and about 3 months in freezer

7. Divide the dough into three parts (if making one large crust, then keep it as it is)
8. Roll out on a clean surface about 3 cm larger than the pie or tart pan
9. Lift the rolled dough into the tart pan and press the dough gently around the edges
10. Dot with a fork on the surface and the all aorund the edges
11. The dough is ready to use, fill it with desired filling if it is going to be baked into unbaked tart shell or blindbake the
crust covered with waxed paper and filled with beans (the beans prevents the crust from shrinking)

Tart shells ready to be baked in the oven..

Bake the pie in the lower part of the oven at 225C for about 20 minutes or until golden in color

Let cool on a wire rack and fill as desired