Sweet Shortcrust Pastry - Italian Pasta Frolla

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 5

Resting time: 1

Total Time: 1 5

Servings:

Calories: 255kcal

This is the classic recipe for Italian sweet shortcrust pastry dough, called pasta frolla. Use it for tarts, pies, crostata and cookies!

Place the butter, sugar and orange zest in a stand mixer, and using the whisk attachment whip them until creamy and lightly foamy, for about 3-4 minutes.
Add one egg yolk at a time, until each is fully incorporated, followed by the whole egg. Continue to mix until you reach a creamy texture, for about 2 minutes.
Add in all the flour, and then mix everything with the hook attachment or by hand with a spatula.
The dough will still be sticky at this point, dust it with 1 tablespoon of flour and form the dough into a ball without over-working it.
Transfer the ball onto a sheet of cling film, flatten it into a disk and wrap it well. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Once ready, transfer the dough on a clean and lightly floured working surface. Dust the rolling pin lightly will flour and roll the dough to form a large disk.
Use the disk to line a tart or baking pan, or cut it with a cookie cutter for cookies.

The dough is enough to make about 30 small cookies or to line a regular 25 cm/10-inch tart tin.

Recipe tips:

The less you work the dough with your hands the better, because their warmth will make the butter soften faster.
If the pastry is too crumbly, it means you have overworked the dough. Add a teaspoon of cold water, mix everything quickly, if necessary, with a pinch of flour and immediately place in the fridge!
Dust your counter and your rolling pin lightly with flour before rolling the dough.
Alternatively, place the dough between two sheets of baking paper, so it won’t stick to the counter or rolling pin.

Storage tips:

You can store the dough wrapped in cling film in the fridge, or roll it out into pie or tart pan and store it in the fridge, for up to 2 days.

You can freeze the dough wrapped in cling film and stored in a freezer-friendly container for up to 30 days.

Baking tips:

Bake the pasta frolla in a static oven at 180 °C/ 360° F, with the fan option on at 160 °C/ 320 °F.

Crostata, tarts and pies take about 30 to 45 minutes.

Biscuits (cookies) and tartelettes take about 12 minutes to 15 minutes.