my pastry shrinks

[Ellie]

Can anyone tell me how to avoid the pastry shrinkage problem please ? Sometimes the vertical sides seem to halve and leave me with nothing.

Also, how do I stop the bottom bubbling up whilst it is cooking please.?

 

[Morning Glory]

Pastry will shrink slightly. Its best to avoid rolling it too much as this stretches the dough which will then shrink back. Form the pastry into a block and roll out between two sheets of clingfilm. Peel of one layer of film and transfer to the flan dish with clingfilm side upwards. Leave the clingfilm in place and gently ease the pastry into place using your knuckle to push the pastry into the bottom edge. Now pat the pastry gently against the sides of the dish.

At this point you can remove the clingfilm and bake blind with the excess pastry overhanging the edges - then trim it off when cooked. This avoid shrinkage but wastes pastry!

In fact I never do the latter as I like a nice neat shape and very often use a fluted dish. I find that although the pastry shrinks back a bit, it is minimal. See image below. I use my finger to gently mould the pastry into the fluted edge. Then (still with cling attached) use my thumb to push the excess pastry away from the rim. This gives a vey neat finish. Remove clingfilm and bake blind.

You can do all this without clingfilm but if you do you risk using excess flour when rolling - which toughens the pastry. The clingfilm makes the pastry easier to roll and avoids over- stretching.

 

[Kake Lover]

• Let the pastry rest before rolling
• Once rolled out and shaped, don't stretch it any further
• When you trim the overhanging pastry edges, hold the knife at angle underneath rather than vertical
• To prevent the bottom bubbling up prick the base with a fork and / or bake the pastry case first covered with a bit of baking paper weighted down with some raw beans

 

[jennyb]

I agree with the posts above. Pastry has to be gently treated.