How to make the perfect pie pastry (according to a pastry chef)

From shepherd's pie to steak and ale pie, we are a nation of pie lovers! However, a new survey by Yorkshire Handmade Pies revealed that while 42 per cent of us like to bake our own pie, we’re still having difficulties getting our pastry correct. Common gripes included over 1 in 4 bakers experiencing a soggy bottom (26 per cent) and pastry being too dry (13 per cent).

In time for British Pie Week (March 4–10), James Sturdy, owner and pastry chef at Yorkshire Handmade Pies has shared his top tips for making the perfect pie pastry to help demystify common problems.

Great pastry is essential for a great tasting pie. You can’t make a good pie out of bad pastry, so putting the effort into making your pastry perfect will pay you back.

To make perfect shortcrust pastry, use nicely chilled ingredients and use a ratio of half fat to flour and half water to fat. So, for example, if you are using 300g of flour, make sure to use 150g of fats and 75g of water. This will ensure a great texture and flavour.

For savoury pies, a combination of butter and lard will give you the best results. Butter provides a rich flavour, but all butter pastry can be tricky to manage and can sometimes be a little tough. Using some lard (or a good vegetable shortening) will give your pastry a nice flaky texture and make it a little easier to work with.

You can use a stand mixer with a paddle or you can mix your pastry by hand. But either way, combine your flour and fat until it resembles a breadcrumb type mixture before slowly adding the water

Once it is clearing the side of the mixer and the water is incorporated, stop mixing. The main reason for tough pastry or shrinkage is over-mixing, so aim to mix for as little time as possible. Once mixed, if possible rest your pastry in the fridge for at least a few hours, or even overnight.

Blind baking pastry is not necessary, unless you are making a particularly wet filling such as a custard or quiche. For a good pie, add your filling straight into the pastry case and bake at a high temperature (200°C) which will set your pastry nicely around the filling inside. 

Blind baking refers to the process of baking a pie crust or other pastry without the filling.

Always remember to prepare your pie for baking. Once you’ve assembled your pie for baking, brush the top of the lid with some egg yolk. This will give you a deep golden finish to your baked pie which will look great. Poke a small hole in the top of the lid with a knife, this helps release some steam from the inside of the pie and avoids the filling boiling over.

Finally, experiment with putting some different toppings onto the lid before baking for a little extra flavour and texture. Mustard seeds, dried herbs, breadcrumbs and dried onions can all be used to give a little extra boost to your finished pie.