Shortcrust pastry is very useful to have to hand. There are so many dishes you can make with it such as beef pie, Swiss chard, gruyere, and bacon tart, apple pie, lemon meringue pie, and leek, potato, and gorgonzola tart. It is one of the easiest pastries to make so can you make a big batch of it in advance and freeze it?
The simple answer is yes, and you can freeze it either uncooked or cooked, although it does tend to taste fresher if you freeze it uncooked. In this article, we will tell you how to freeze shortcrust pastry and how to defrost it.
How To Freeze Uncooked Shortcrust Pastry
1. Make the pastry dough.
Leave it to stand in the fridge for around half an hour.
2. Shape the dough into a disc.
Flattening the dough makes it easier to wrap.
3. Double wrap the dough in cling film.
This will help to protect the pastry dough against freezer burn. Freezer burn will ruin the taste and texture of your pastry.
4. Put the pastry dough in a freezer bag.
Make sure that you don’t bend the pastry. Squeeze out all the air from the freezer bag to prevent freezer burn. Alternatively, use an airtight container. Put a label on the bag or container with the date and contents.
5. Freeze.
How To Freeze Cooked Shortcrust Pastry
1. Prepare and cook the pastry.
2. Cool down the pastry.
It is important to not put the warm pastry in the freezer because it will ruin the texture and will also bring up the temperature in the freezer. Other food may start to defrost and even spoil.
3. Double wrap the pastry in cling film.
4. Put the pastry in a freezer bag.
Squeeze out all the air to prevent freezer burn. Put a label on the bag with the date and contents.
5. Freeze.
Tips For Freezing Shortcrust Pastry
- Squeeze out all the air from the freezer bag so that freezer burn doesn’t occur.
- You can freeze the shortcrust pastry in the tin you intend to bake it in. Just make sure that it is both freezer and oven safe.
- You can keep the shortcrust pastry in the fridge for up to three days before you freeze it. This means that if you plan to use your pastry within this time but then change your mind, you can still freeze it.
- Uncooked pastry tastes fresher when it is defrosted and baked. Cooked pastry doesn’t turn out as good as it will be baked twice. It may start to become soggy.
For How Long Can You Freeze Shortcrust Pastry?
You can freeze uncooked pastry for around one month and cooked pastry for up to six months (see also Should You Freeze Puff Pastry?). This is the one advantage of freezing cooked pastry. You can also freeze cooked pastry with fillings, but you will need to check that the fillings will freeze and how long they will last in the freezer. For example, a quiche will last for around three months.
How Do You Defrost Shortcrust Pastry?
The best way to defrost shortcrust pastry is slowly and steadily. This is because pastry is delicate, and you need to take care when handling it. Take the pastry out of the freezer the night before you want to use it and put it in the fridge. Once it has defrosted, take it out of the fridge and leave it to rest at room temperature for up to one hour. If you are using uncooked pastry, you can roll it into shape and then bake. If you are using cooked pastry, you can use it without resting it.
Can You Refreeze Shortcrust Pastry?
We don’t recommend that you refreeze the pastry. This is because every time that you freeze, ice crystals form. If you freeze twice, a lot of ice crystals will be created, and the pastry could end up soggy. If you have a lot of pastry to freeze, it is a good idea to divide it up into meal-size portions so that you only defrost what you need each time.
Is It A Good Idea To Freeze Shortcrust Pastry?
Yes, uncooked shortcrust pastry freezes fairly well but it only lasts for a month. If you want to keep it for longer in the freezer, cook it before freezing. Then it can last for up to six months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hopefully, you now know all there is to know about freezing shortcrust pastry but in case you want to know more about freezing shortcrust pastry or pastry in general, we have answered a few questions here.
Yes, you can freeze puff pastry. Double wrap the puff pastry in greaseproof paper and then in a layer of cling film. Put it in a freezer bag or airtight container, and freeze.
Yes, you can freeze filo pastry. Just freeze it in the same way as shortcrust paper. Be very careful when you handle it as it is very delicate.
You can freeze choux pastry but it is a little more complicated than freezing shortcrust pastry. You need to flash freeze it so that the pastries don’t stick together. Get a baking tray and line it with a piece of parchment paper. Pipe on the choux pastry to the size you want. Make sure that the pastries aren’t touching each other so that they don’t stick together. Freeze for about an hour and then put them in an airtight container, again making sure that they aren’t touching each other. If you have layers of choux pastries, put a piece of parchment paper in between them.
There are so many popular fillings for pies, and these include steak and kidney, cheese and onion, chicken and mushroom, and squash, spinach, and feta. Popular sweet pies include apple pie, pumpkin pie, and rhubarb pie.
