Shortcrust Pastry

This is a recipe for 1 pie. It does not require sugar nor a levening agent. A typical shortcrust pastry recipe has a 2 to 1 flour to fat ratio. In other words, twice as much flour than fat in weight. 

 Ingredients:

• 250 g all purpose flour
• 125 g cold unsalted butter
• 1 egg yolk
• pinch of salt
• ice cold water

1. Sift flour in a bowl.
2. Blend half the flour with the butter. Use fingertips to blend quickly. This is to avoid the transfer of warmth of your hands. The dough should remain cold.
3. Do not try to make a ball. Look to make a sandy, crumbly texture, gently blending the ingredients.
4. Add the rest of the flour, yolk and salt. Limit working time to avoid formation of gluten. Once there's a dry, crumbly consistency stop blending. 
5. You now need to bind the crumble with very cold water. Don't use too much. Make a ball with the dough with a minimum of kneading. Once homogeneous you're done.
6. Wrap it in cling film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using it.

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