Shortbread dough (recipe). How to cook? Shortcrust pastry Can't make shortcrust pastry

Properly prepared shortbread dough is very tender and crumbly, literally melting in your mouth. At first glance, you might think that there are no difficulties or secrets in its preparation, however, this is not so. Shortbread dough has its own secrets, which it is in no hurry to reveal upon superficial acquaintance, therefore, at first, products made from it may not turn out to be entirely successful - hard and rough.

To avoid such troubles, you need to consider the following factors when preparing shortcrust pastry:

1. The friability and plasticity of shortcrust pastry is given by the large amount of butter it contains. If there is less oil than needed, the dough will turn out dense and hard.
2. In order for the dough to be very crumbly and tender, it is recommended to use only egg yolks for it (baking powder, in this case, you don’t need to add).
3. If the preparation of shortcrust pastry takes place in a hot room, then it is advisable to cool it before preparing the products.
4. The table on which the shortbread dough is rolled out should be generously sprinkled with flour and the flour should be added several times while rolling.
5. The layer of dough must have the same thickness, otherwise during baking the thin parts will burn and the thick parts will remain damp.
6. Shortbread dough is baked at a temperature of 240 - 260°C. The most delicious and aromatic products are those that acquire a golden color after baking, not only on the outside, but also on the inside.

Take 250 g butter; 3 cups flour; half a glass of sugar (or even better, powdered sugar); 2 yolks; vanilla sugar.

Mix the butter with powdered sugar and beat everything together thoroughly, add the egg yolk, flour and finely grated lemon zest. Knead the dough, roll it into a layer, from which cut out cookies in the form of bagels using a thimble and a glass. Dip one side into the beaten egg white and immediately into the coarsely crushed nuts (walnuts, peanuts, almonds).

Bake cookies in a moderately heated oven until done.

And, in conclusion, one more piece of advice: if the shortcrust pastry recipe is intended for products with various flavored fillings (for example, cakes, pastries, pies), then there is no need to flavor the dough itself. But it is recommended to add vanilla sugar or (lemon), cinnamon or well-crushed nutmeg to the cookie dough. You can replace a glass of flour in the recipe with roasted nuts ground into powder, or add a little cocoa powder to the dough.

Using an oven is one of the easiest ways to please your family and cook something unusual. Why we present to your attention another one - sand.

The scope of application, like any other type, is wide - cookies, pastries, pies, cakes. If you wish, you can even make baskets and put small portions of snacks, pate or something else inside. You just need to show your culinary imagination.

If it is considered difficult to prepare, then shortbread can be considered one of the simplest. With its own subtleties, of course, but still the recipe is not difficult.

If you have indomitable laziness of will, look for ready-made food on store shelves; semi-finished products always help save time. But I hasten to assure you that the savings are insignificant, since kneading the dough and cooling will take 30-40 minutes (and a third of this time does not depend on you, in other words, you will “carve out” 10 minutes), but it is always better to cook to your taste.

The simplest shortcrust pastry recipe does not require many ingredients: butter, sugar and flour. Agree, you can buy them almost everywhere.

Food preparation

Sometimes the recipe is supplemented with an egg, or even one egg yolk (since they contain a lot of fat, and this is exactly what is needed). In the latter case, separate it from the egg white, which can be used to brush the surface of a pie crust (for example).
The rest is the same as in the case of any other test.

Sift the flour using a sieve, giving it fluffiness to make it more crumbly.

The use of baking soda is controversial; some people use it (moisten it with more lemon juice or vinegar), while others do not. The choice is yours, I would recommend using ready-made baking powder (aka baking powder).

How to make shortbread dough

The first question that arises is how much of each product is needed.

After looking through cookbooks and websites (although foodkrot did it for you), you will see that there are basic ratios of ingredients in shortcrust pastry recipes.

A) first method: ingredients are taken in a ratio of 1/4:1:1.

It turns out - a quarter glass of sugar, 100 g. butter or margarine for 1 cup flour, without eggs. This option can be called universal, suitable for cookies and pies. As a result, we will have 300 gr. shortcrust pastry, respectively the same amount of baking.

b) The next option (one of the most popular) is when sugar, butter and flour are selected in a ratio of 1:2:3. The option is most suitable for baking pies.

A recipe for such shortcrust pastry often contains 1.5 times more flour than butter, and half as much sugar. Just estimate the desired weight of the finished product (let's say 0.5 kg of cookies) and calculate how many products you need based on the proportions.

V) Another combination of products is 1:1:2. Baskets, cookies and other sweet little things are most often baked from this composition. The same proportions of sugar and margarine (not a full glass per 100 grams of fatty base) and a double portion of flour.

The more flour you add, the denser the dough becomes and the harder the baked goods. Fats also affect the friability and softness of the finished product.

Quite often, for softness, 1 egg is added to the composition for every 250 grams. flour (about one and a half cups 250 ml.)

It is allowed to use margarine instead of butter, as well as a 50 to 50 mixture. You can take a smaller amount, but you need to add a binding element (liquid or sour cream, but more on that below). For lean dough you can use vegetable fats

Eggs are added only to large portions of shortcrust pastry, and it is advisable to use only the yolk.

Sugar hardens the product and makes it even crispier. If desired, replace with powder to obtain a delicate consistency.

Salt (at least a pinch) should be added to any cooking method.

Baking powder 1/3 teaspoon, if preparing a cake.

Kneading

People use various methods of kneading shortcrust pastry, depending on the condition of the butter/margarine.

Frozen in the freezer is grated on a coarse grater.

Cooled to such an extent that it can be cut with a knife, but the shape of the briquette is preserved. When kneading, cut into small cubes.

In these two cases, you can chop the pieces with a knife into large crumbs, then dominate them with your hands. And right on the cutting board.

Soften the butter at room temperature. We get a creamy state, when cutting the briquette is no longer possible, it sticks to the knife.

Melt margarine, mix with salt and sugar. Then, after cooling slightly, add the eggs and the remaining bulk products. But for me, liquid cooked will not be crumbly, plus it will become tougher. It makes more sense than ever to mix baking powder into the flour.

The last two options are mixed with a mixer, spoon or hands in any convenient bowl.

If the mass turns out to be too dry and crumbles, a binding element is introduced.

This could be 2-3 tbsp of ice water; sour cream 1.5-2 tbsp; 1 egg yolk per glass of flour. Or milk, kefir, but with them the baking is a little denser, so it’s not the best option.

How to make shortcrust pastry for cookies

2 cups of flour;
100 gr. margarine or butter;
1 cup of sugar;
1 egg yolk;
Salt.

1. Grind the butter with granulated sugar and a pinch of salt.

2. Add egg yolks.

3. Baking powder (if desired) and all dry ingredients.

4. Mix everything into a homogeneous (or rather uniform) mass, giving the shape of a neat lump.

5. Place it in a bowl and cover with film, or simply wrap it in it.
Place in the refrigerator for 25-30 minutes.

Cookies don't have to be sweet, they can be salty and spicy like snacks. The recipe for unsweetened baking is the same, with the only difference being less sugar (can be reduced to half a teaspoon) and 0.5 cup more flour.

How to make shortcrust pastry for a pie

300 gr. flour (about two glasses);
200 gr. margarine;
1 cup sugar (or less);
1 pinch of salt;
2-3 tbsp. ice water.

1. Mix all dry ingredients.

2. Add cooled butter cut into cubes.

3. Using one or two knives, chop everything into crumbs.

4. The dough is almost ready, now you need to mix all the crumbs with your hands and roll the pieces into a ball, preferably not for long (1-2 minutes). The mixture has a smooth and moist oily and sandy texture (not always uniform).

5. The resulting ball, wrapped in cling film, is placed in the refrigerator for 0.5 hours to cool.

This is done for one reason, because it is easier to roll out cold ones. It is best if the thickness of the layer or layer is 0.5-1 cm, such baked goods bake much better.

Video recipe from the famous Jamie Oliver:

Baking shortcrust pastry in the oven

Use a glass, special molds, or just a kitchen knife to cut out the desired outline of the cookie (or shortcake). For cakes and pies using an inverted plate. And you can move on to baking.

In fact, you can not only cut, there is also such an option as modeling. For example, you place a thinly rolled round piece of bread in a mold for baskets, carefully outline the bottom with your fingers, and you can cut off the excess that protrudes beyond the edges. And you bake.

It is most convenient to roll out on parchment paper, cling film and a table surface sprinkled with wheat flour. Just don’t add too much, otherwise it may burn during baking.

Place shortbread dough in molds or on a baking sheet, preferably without greasing (cookies, small products), since there is enough fat in the composition so that the baked goods do not burn.

When baking in layers or baskets, it is better to make punctures in the bottom with a fork. To prevent anything from swelling, place baking paper on the bottom and sprinkle with dry beans to maintain the shape of the basket.

Also, cuts are made on the dough in advance (half the thickness of the layer), along which it will be easier to break and divide the whole piece into small ones.

The oven temperature at the time of placing shortcrust pastry products inside should be 200-230 °C

Bake for 10-20 minutes (depending on the thickness of the layer), the surface should acquire a golden, ruddy appearance. Sometimes it takes more time.

How to fix shortbread dough

If the prepared dough falls apart when rolled out, then it may not produce normal, neat baking. But there is an easy way to fix this.
Place it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Then knead (you can cool your hands with running cold water), add 1 yolk and quickly knead again. There is no need to knead for a long time, as the butter may melt and begin to fall apart again.

Shortcrust pastry recipe cheat sheet

1. Mix the fat base with sugar and salt
2. Get flour crumbs with margarine (or other fatty base)
3. If necessary, add a connecting element
4. Knead into a ball and wrap in film
5. Cool for 30 minutes

How to change a shortcrust pastry recipe

Over time, you will want to experiment more, some recommendations on this matter:

Grated lemon or orange zest, as well as chilled juice of these citrus fruits, will enhance the aroma and taste of the baked product.

Among the seasonings and spices, cinnamon, vanilla, and ginger are quite suitable for sweet baking. Cardamom, pepper, anise, cumin, saffron, nutmeg and coriander for a neutral or salty snack, tartlet.

1-2 teaspoons cocoa, coffee for color and aroma.

Honey 1-3 tbsp, cottage cheese 50-100 g. nuts (crushed, crushed), raisins, poppy seeds and even M&M's will add additional flavor to your baked goods.

Also, don’t forget powdered sugar, coconut, chocolate chips, crumbs or icing or confectionery decorations (as well as food coloring - green or blue cookies will at least surprise guests).

Treat yourself to baked goods every day, or at least on weekends, try different “shortbread” options, start small and over time you will choose your signature taste and composition for any holiday occasion.

Our tips will help you bake like a pro! Baking is a task that requires constant practice, patience and even some culinary savvy. But when the masters get down to business, the task becomes easier. Irina Chadeeva seems to know everything about baking! Here are tips from a famous culinary blogger and simply good housewives who are in love with fiddling with dough.

“Pie science” is a science accessible to everyone, no doubt about it. Use these tips and you will be able to cook everything you have in mind. On the way to the ideal, a lot of dough was spoiled, many pies were burnt. Leave it behind. Professionals will tell you how to save any baked goods!

1. Biscuit dough

1. If the whites are not whipping well, there is probably yolk in them. There is only one way to correct the situation - start beating the other whites again, carefully monitoring the moment the yolk separates. Also, egg whites will not whip well if sugar is added too early. In this case, beat the whites in a water bath.
2. If the biscuit is too dense, and the dough does not rise well in the oven, there may be several reasons. Poorly beaten ingredients and too much flour usually lead to such a sad result. In addition, you should not keep the biscuit dough for a long time before moving it into the oven. Make sure the oven is well heated before you put the dough in it.
3. To ensure that the biscuit is well baked, it needs to be baked at medium temperature. If the baking temperature is too high or too low, the biscuit will turn out unsuccessful, most likely half-baked.
4. If the biscuit is difficult to remove from the mold, It is quite possible that the problem is an old and uneven mold. Don't forget to thoroughly grease the pan with butter and sprinkle flour on top. If there is too much sugar in the dough, the sponge cake will also have difficulty releasing from the pan. Follow the recipe carefully, and you will have much fewer problems with baking!
5. If the sponge cake settles after you take it out of the oven, this means that it is not baked. Check with a match that the cake is ready before you take it out! Also, the sponge cake may settle while still in the oven if it is baked at too high a temperature.
6. So that the biscuit does not crumble, cut it with a very sharp knife.
7. Cool the biscuit at room temperature, and only then remove it from the mold. It will be easier for you to remove the sponge cake, as well as the cake from any other dough, if you place the mold, just removed from the oven, on a wet cloth. Once the mold has cooled, the product will come off easily!

2. Cake batter

1. If the dough separates when adding eggs, perhaps there are too many eggs. Make sure that the butter and eggs you mix are at the same temperature. Continue beating the dough until it reaches the desired consistency.
2. If the cake does not rise in the oven, Most likely, the butter and sugar are not creamed well. Another option: the butter melted while kneading the dough.
3. If the cake is dense and sticky, there is too much flour or liquid in it. Eggs with sugar, not beaten, but simply mixed into the dough, also give this effect.

3. Puff pastry

1. If the butter and flour crumbs stick together, put the dough in the refrigerator - the oil will cool down and nothing will stick together.
2. If the dough is too sticky, add a little flour to it and put it in the refrigerator for a while.
3. If the dough crumbles, this indicates a lack of fluid. Add one teaspoon of water at a time, gently moistening dry areas.
4. If the products are dry and hard- they were baked for too long. Watch the time and ensure that the butter does not melt while kneading the dough!

4. Curd dough

1. If the dough is too soft and sticky, Most likely you used wet cottage cheese. Add flour or semolina to correct the situation.
2. If the dough crumbles- little liquid.

5. Shortcrust pastry

1. If the dough is too soft, you need to add more flour.
2. If the dough crumbles, there may be several reasons. Lack of oil, not enough liquid and too cold oil are what ruin shortcrust pastry. Remember to bring the oil to room temperature before kneading the dough!
3. If the liquid filling has not thickened- perhaps the baking temperature was too low, there were not enough eggs and starch in the filling, or the product did not have time to cook completely.
4. When the temperature is too high While baking, the liquid filling may curdle.
5. If the cookies are burnt, Carefully remove the burnt layer with a grater, and then sprinkle the cookies with powdered sugar.
6. If you store pies on a ceramic plate, Covering them with a napkin made of natural fabric on top will help them retain their fluffiness and freshness longer.
7. Perfectly cut crumbly cake You can if you heat the knife before cutting by dipping it in boiling water for 1 minute.
8. If the dough is kneaded too hard, but it sticks to your hands, use a glass bottle with cold water as a rolling pin. It will roll out beautifully!
9. The glaze will be very tasty melt chocolates and mints by mixing them with a few tablespoons of water or milk.

Baking is delicious and beautiful - an affordable pleasure. Even if you bake rarely, do it well. Our advice will certainly help you become a master, and the appearance and taste of the products you bake from

Secrets and tips for delicious shortcrust pastry

Surely, you yourself exclaimed: “I don’t know how to bake pies and cakes!” What did you do wrong? Let's talk about the right mix shortcrust pastry and about its secrets, because how nice it is when the kitchen smells of delicious aromatic pastries.

Rules for delicious shortbread dough.

• The ingredients for tasty and proper shortcrust pastry must be cooled in advance.

Be sure to sift the flour onto the table. If you replace a third of the flour with potato starch, then the shortbread dough will become crumbly and especially delicious.

• As a rule, real professionals chop all the ingredients for shortcrust pastry with a long knife so that the dough remains cold as long as possible. Cold butter is cut into cubes.

Collect the sifted flour into a mound, make a hole and add butter, eggs, granulated sugar and other products that are included in your recipe. I recommend adding 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar to make the dough more crumbly. The main thing in kneading dough is our palms, don’t rub it with your fingers, the dough doesn’t like that. To prevent the shortbread dough from heating up and floating, you should knead it very quickly. Once the kneading is done, put it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

• Shortbread dough loves the cold, so it can be prepared for future use and stored in the freezer. When defrosting, you should not wait until the dough floats; let it remain a little frozen, otherwise it will not hold the shape of the intended baking.

The shortbread miracle is rolled out exclusively on the table, previously sprinkled with flour or powdered sugar. By the way, you can also roll it out between 2 layers of baking paper.

• Once the dough is rolled out and given the desired shape, quickly place it in the preheated oven. Shortbread dough does not like to wait and reduces its quality during baking if it is overheated at room temperature.

Sometimes shortbread dough turns out to be very greasy, so there is no need to additionally grease the baking molds with oil, however, I have verified from my own experience that when baking baskets, it is necessary to grease the wavy sides!

Why doesn't shortbread dough work?

Basic recipe for shortcrust pastry:

• butter or margarine 200g
• granulated sugar 1 cup
• sifted flour 7-8 tablespoons
• egg 1 piece
• soda on the tip of a knife
• salt.

Let's look at a few mistakes made by baking lovers:

• Question: Why did the shortbread dough not be flexible, crumble a lot when rolling, and when baking, the butter comes out a lot?

Answer: You kneaded the dough with warm ingredients: melted butter greatly degrades the quality of the shortbread dough, as well as the warm egg.

• Question: Why do the products crumble and feel rough after baking?

Answer: Because the dough was warm.

• Question: Why does shortbread dough shrink when rolled out and take a long time?

• Question: Why did the shortbread products turn out small, not fluffy, and hard during baking?

• Question: Why did the edges burn when baking the cakes?

Answer: Most likely, you did not roll out the dough evenly, and you did not turn the baking sheet with the cakes in the oven in a timely manner.

• Question: Why did the sand product turn out to be very crumbly and brittle?

• Question: Why are shortcrust pastry products like glass and very hard?

Answer: Because only egg whites were added, as well as a lot of granulated sugar.

Using these tips, your shortbread dough will always be successful, and products made from it will be tasty and beautiful.