| 140g flour |
Place in bowl |
Rub together rapidly between tips of fingers, until fat is broken into pieces the size of oatmeal flakes. Do not overdo it. |
Blend quickly with one hand, fingers held together and slightly cupped, rapidly gathering dough into a mass. Press firmly into a roughly-shaped ball. Dough should just hold together and be pliable, but not damp or sticky. |
On a lightly-floured board, rapidly press the pastry in 2-tablespoon bits, using the heel of the hand, in a firm quick 15cm smear. Gather dough again into a mass, knead briefly into a fairly smooth round ball. Sprinkle lightly with flour, wrap in greaseproof paper. Freeze 1 hour until firm but not congealed, or in refrigerator overnight. |
Beat dough with rolling pin, to soften. Place on lightly-floured board. Knead into a fairly flat circle. It should be just malleable enough to roll without cracking. Lightly flour top, roll pin back and forth gently to start the dough moving. With firm even strokes, rolling away from you, starting just below the centre and roll to with an inch of the edge. Turn dough at slight angle. Continue to make a circle about 3mm thick. |
Reverse dough onto rolling pin, unroll over tin. Press lightly into bottom of tin. Lift the edges, work it gently down the inside edge of the tin. Trim off excess. Push dough 3mm above rim, press a decorative edge around rim. Prick bottom of pastry with a fork at 1cm intervals. Line with brown paper, press well against sides, fill with baking beans. OR, freeze 30 minutes. |
Bake in hot oven 8-9 minutes, or until pastry is set. Remove paper and beans, prick bottom. FOR A PART-COOKED SHELL. Cook 2-3 minutes more, until shell starts to colour and shrink from sides. FOR A FULL-COOKED SHELL. Cook 10-12 minutes more, until lightly browned. Unmould, slip onto rack. |