Shortcrust pastry is used as a base for tarts, pies, and quiches. It does not contain leavening agents so it does not puff during baking. It can be made with either sweet or savory fillings. The pastry is made with a ratio of half fat to flour by weight, using fats like butter, lard, or shortening that are rubbed into the flour. Equal amounts of butter and lard provide richness and good texture. Care must be taken to thoroughly blend the fat into the flour before adding liquid to coat the flour granules and prevent gluten development, which would make the pastry tough.

1. Shortcrust pastry
Shortcrust pastry is a type of pastry often used for the base of
a tart, quiche or pie. It does not puff up during baking because it usually contains
no leavening agent. It is possible to make shortcrust pastry with self-raising flour,
however. Shortcrust pastry can be used to make both sweet and savory pies such
as apple pie, quiche, lemon meringue or chicken pie. Many shortcrust pastries are
prepared using vegetable shortening, a fat food product that is solid at room
temperature, the composition of which tends to create crumbly, shortcrust-style
pastries and pastry crusts.
Proportions
It is based on a "half-fat-to-flour" ratio (by weight). Fat (lard, shortening, butter or
full-fat margarine) is rubbed into plain flour to create a loose mixture that is then
bound using a small amount of ice water, rolled out, then shaped and placed to
create the top or bottom of a flan or pie. Ideally, equal amounts of butter and lard
are used to make the pastry, ensuring that the ratio of the two fat products is half
that of the flour. The butter is employed to give the pastry a rich flavor, whilst the
lard ensures optimum texture.
Techniques
In both sweetcrust and shortcrust pastry, care must be taken to ensure that fat
and flour are blended thoroughly before liquid is added. This ensures that the flour

2. granules are adequately coated with fat and are less likely to develop gluten and
may be achieved with the use of a specialized kitchen utensil called a pastry
blender, or through various alternatives, like a pair of table knives held in one
hand.
Overworking the dough is also a hazard. Overworking elongates the gluten
strands, creating a product that is tough, rather than light and crumbly or flaky.
Types
A shortcrust pastry cookie
Pâte à foncer
Pâte à foncer is French shortcrust pastry that includes egg. Egg and butter
are worked together with a small quantity of sugar and salt before the flour
is drawn into the mixture and cold water added to bind it.[1]
Pâte brisée
This is similar to pâte à foncer, but is lighter and more delicate due to an
increased quantity of butter — up to three fifths the quantity of flour[
Sweetcrust pastry
Sweetcrust pastry is made with the addition of sugar, which sweetens the
mix and impedes the gluten strands, creating a pastry that breaks up easily
in the mouth.