Shortcrust pastry
Shortcrust pastry is a crumbly dough made by rubbing fat into flour and adding just enough liquid to bind it. It is commonly used for pies and tarts.
Rubbing in: A mixing technique that coats flour particles with fat by rubbing the two together. This is the defining step that limits gluten formation and creates a crumbly dough.
Wheat flour: A powder made by milling wheat kernels, used as the structural base of many baked foods. Its proteins and starches provide the framework for shortcrust.
Pâte brisée: A French unsweetened shortcrust pastry used for savory and sweet pies and tarts. It is a classic French form of the shortcrust dough.
Puff pastry: A laminated pastry that rises into crisp, airy layers as water in its dough and butter produce steam. Its layered lift contrasts with shortcrust’s compact, crumbly texture.
Gluten: A network of proteins formed when wheat flour is hydrated and mixed. Shortcrust handling aims to limit gluten development so the pastry stays tender.
Butter: A dairy fat made by churning cream, containing milk fat, water, and milk solids. Butter supplies fat and flavor, while its water contributes to dough binding and steam.
Pâte sucrée: A sweet French pastry dough enriched with sugar and often egg, used for tart shells. Its sweeter, firmer dough is a distinct shortcrust-style base for dessert tarts.
Choux pastry: A cooked dough that expands into hollow pastries when baked, as steam raises its hydrated structure. Choux is made by cooking flour with liquid and fat, not rubbing fat into flour.
Laminated dough: Dough made by enclosing fat in dough and repeatedly folding and rolling to create layers. Unlike shortcrust, lamination relies on distinct fat layers to produce flaky lift.
Lard: A rendered pork fat used in cooking and baking. Its high fat content can make shortcrust especially tender and short.