Although shortcrust pastry seems trivial, in practice it can cause some problems. The key lies in kneading the ingredients correctly and at the right baking temperature.
The shortcrust pastry is unique due to its simplicity. It combines flour, fat, sugar and egg yolks. However, even the slightest change in proportions can make it too hard, too loose or start to shrink in the oven. The classic safe rule is proportion 3:2:1i.e. three parts of flour, two parts of fat and one part of powdered sugar.
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It will work well krupczatka flour the wheat with lower gluten content. An extra tablespoon of potato flour will increase the tenderness, and a bit of almond flour will add flavor.
The butter should be at least 82%. fat. It determines the delicate, layered structure of the cake. If you want to get an even more tender bake, you can replace some of the butter with lard. Icing sugar it will make the cake uniform and smooth (ordinary crystal may caramelize and change its texture).
It is this stage that determines whether the dough will be delicate or rubbery. The key is one thing: knead quickly and cold.
- All ingredients (butter, egg yolks) should be present well chilled.
- It’s best to connect them with a knife, with a chopper or in a food processorso that your hands do not warm the mass.
- Mix only until the ingredients are combinedbecause too long kneading develops gluten, which causes the dough to become hard and dense after baking.
Wrap the finished dough ball in foil and put it in the refrigerator for at least an hour. This step is of great importance.
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Even the best-prepared cake can be ruined in the oven. Shortbread requires a well-heated oven, otherwise the fat will start to melt and the bottom will shrink or bulge.
- There should be an oven heated to 170-200 degrees Celsius.
- Bake thin bases at a higher temperaturea thicker in the lower one.
- Before putting the cake in the oven prick them with a fork the load with ceramic balls or beansto avoid bulges.
With the convection mode, the dough will be ready after 15-20 minutes, with the top-bottom function, it takes about 25 minutes. After baking, be sure to cool it in the form, because only then will it acquire the proper structure.
