Put the butter, flour and salt in a
mixing bowl. Using your fingers,
work the ingredients together
until they resemble fine
breadcrumbs and no lumps
of butter are present.
Alternatively, use a food
processor to pulse them
together to reach this stage.
Add 50g water to the mixing
bowl, a little at a time, until it
forms a firm but malleable
mixture. You can also use a
stand mixer to mix in the water
– add it in a slow, steady stream.
If you used a food processor
earlier, it’s recommended that
you finish this off by hand.
Move the dough to a flat
worksurface and shape it into a thick disc. Wrap with cling film
and allow to rest in the fridge
for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to
180C/160C F/Gas 4.
Lay a sheet of baking paper
on the worksurface, put the
pastry on it, then cover with a
second sheet of baking paper.
Roll out the pastry into a circle
approx. 35cm in diameter
and 3mm thick.
Leaving the baking paper in
place, put the pastry on a baking
sheet and chill in the fridge for
at least 1 hour to firm up again.
Peel off the paper and drape
the pastry over a 25cm
diameter, 3.5cm deep, fluted
tart tin with a removable base –
use a floured rolling pin to help
you lift and position it evenly.
Press the pastry into the base
and sides of the tin with the
flats of your fingers – be firm
but also careful to avoid
stretching or tearing it.
Use a sharp knife to trim any
excess pastry from the edges,
then allow it to sit in the freezer
for 15 minutes to rest and firm
up one final time.
Take one large sheet of foil
and gently use it to line the
pastry case – ensure
beforehand that it will be big
enough to completely cover
the pastry with some excess. Fill it to the brim with uncooked
rice, then fold the foil gently
back over the top of the rice
and place the tin in the oven.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or
until the edges of the pastry are
a medium-golden colour – look
under the foil to check the
colour is consistent. Remove
from the oven and allow to cool
at room temperature.
When safe to touch, carefully
remove the foil and rice. (The rice should not be eaten,
but it can be kept to reuse for
blind baking.)
Recipes And Photographs Taken From Tarts Anon By Gareth Whitton And Catherine Way, Photographs By Armelle Habib (Hardie Grant, £26).
