Short Crust Pastry

100 g Plain Flour

50 g Margarine

Pinch Salt

4-6 tsp Cold Water

Sift flour with salt into a large mixing bowl.

Drop the margarine into the flour and cut into small pieces.

Using finger tips, rub the margarine into the flour until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.

Measure in most of the water and mix with a rough ended knife. When pastry begins to hold together finish mixing with 2 fingers and a thumb to get the ‘feel’ of the pastry to find if it needs the rest of the water. Draw it together into a firm ball.

Knead pastry until smooth and evenly mixed.

Leave pastry to rest for around 20-30 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, with a floured rolling pin press pastry to the shape required and roll with short, light movements of the rolling pin.

Turn pastry, not the rolling pin, to alter the shape so that equal pressure is exerted on each end of the rolling pin.