Mary Berry Sweet Pastry Recipe

This crisp buttery Mary Berry Sweet Pastry is made with plain flour, cold butter, and icing sugar, and ready in 45 minutes. The crust turns perfectly golden and snaps gently when you slice into your baked tart. I rely on this reliable dough for all my fruit pies and custard tarts.

What I Learned Making This

I used to overwork my pastry dough until it became tough and shrank in the oven. I quickly learned that keeping the butter ice cold and handling the dough as little as possible is crucial.

Using icing sugar instead of caster sugar was a major surprise for me. It blends flawlessly into the flour, resulting in a much shorter, melt-in-the-mouth crumb that never feels gritty.

Mary Berry Sweet Pastry Ingredients

• 175g plain flour
• 75g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
• 25g icing sugar
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 tbsp cold water (if needed)

How To Make Mary Berry Sweet Pastry

1. Rub the butter: Place the plain flour and cold cubed butter into a large bowl. Rub them together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Stir in sugar: Sift the icing sugar into the bowl and stir gently to distribute it evenly throughout the crumb mixture.
3. Bind the dough: Add the beaten egg and mix with a round-bladed knife until the dough begins to clump together. Add a splash of cold water only if it feels too dry.
4. Knead and chill: Gather the dough with your hands and knead very briefly on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Wrap it in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before rolling.

Recipe Tips

• Keep it cold: Warm hands will melt the butter, leading to a greasy and tough baked crust.
• Do not over-knead: Working the dough too much develops the gluten, which causes the pastry to shrink during baking.
• Rest the dough: Chilling relaxes the gluten and firms up the butter, making the pastry much easier to roll out.

What To Serve With Sweet Pastry

This versatile crust works beautifully as a base for classic lemon tarts, rich chocolate ganache fillings, or fresh strawberry flans. You can also bake it blind and fill it with vanilla creme patissiere and seasonal glazed fruits.

How To Store

Wrap the unbaked pastry tightly in cling film and keep it in the fridge for up to three days. For longer storage, freeze the wrapped dough for up to three months and thaw it overnight in the fridge before using.

FAQs

Why did my pastry shrink in the oven?

Pastry shrinks when the gluten in the flour is overworked during kneading. Failing to rest the dough sufficiently in the fridge can also cause shrinkage.

Can I use a food processor?

Yes, you can pulse the flour and butter in a food processor until they look like breadcrumbs. Add the egg and pulse briefly just until the dough comes together.

Do I have to blind bake this pastry?

If you are adding a wet filling like custard, you must blind bake the crust first. This ensures the base does not become soggy while the filling cooks.

Nutrition

• Calories: 210 kcal
• Total Fat: 11g
• Saturated Fat: 6g
• Cholesterol: 45mg
• Sodium: 10mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 22g
• Protein: 4g

Try More Recipes:

• Mary Berry Mince Pie Pastry Recipe
• Mary Berry Flaky Pastry Recipe
• Mary Berry Puff Pastry Recipe