Can You Freeze Shortcrust Pastry?

How to Freeze Shortcrust Pastry

When you’ve rolled your pastry dough and left it to stand, it’s perfectly fine to freeze whatever’s leftover. Alternatively, if you’ve intentionally prepared too much shortcrust pastry, you can set the surplus aside and add it to the freezer.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Shape Into a Disc
   Shape your leftover pastry into a flat disc shape. This makes it much easier to wrap and place in a bag. Once flattened, you’re ready to wrap your pastry.
2. Double Wrap in Cling Film
   You will need to protect your shortcrust pastry from freezer burn, as this can ruin its texture during the freezing process. The best way to do this is to double-wrap your pastry disc with cling film before setting it aside. 
3. Place in Freezer-Safe Bag
   Once double-wrapped, place your shortcrust pastry in a freezer-safe bag. Make sure the bag is big enough to hold the pastry (and don’t bend it).
4. Label and Freeze
   Before sealing the bag, push out as much excess air as possible. Write on the date that you prepared the pastry, as well as its use-by date, before placing it in the freezer.

3 Tips for Freezing Shortcrust Pastry

Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing shortcrust pastry to have the best results:

• Freeze Tins – If you want to freeze shortcrust pastry tins, you can place them in the freezer as they are. Leave them to freeze initially for a few hours, so they will retain their shape, then you can transfer them to a freezer-safe bag if you don’t wish to leave the tin in the freezer. 
• Store Leftovers in the Fridge – You can make your shortcrust pastry up to three days before you use or freeze it. This is good to know if you have leftovers that you were planning to use but never got around to your baking. You should store your pastry in the fridge if you plan on leaving it for up to three days before using it.
• Cooked Pastry Lasts – Although shortcrust pastry dough is only good in the freezer for around a month, cooked shortcrust pastry can be frozen for anywhere between 3-6 months. Therefore, if you want to freeze your pastry for a longer period of time, consider completing your recipe and cooking it in advance.

How Long Can You Freeze Shortcrust Pastry?

You can freeze shortcrust pastry for around one month.

As we’ve already mentioned, shortcrust pastry dough can’t be frozen for as long as cooked shortcrust pastry. With this in mind, plan your baking accordingly, so you don’t end up having to waste your dough.

You Can Freeze Shortcrust Pastry for up to 6 Months

How Do You Defrost Shortcrust Pastry?

As all home bakers will be aware, pastry needs to be well-handled and left to rest before being moulded into shape. When defrosting your shortcrust pastry, you will need to take care.

Begin by removing it from the freezer the night before you plan to use it. Place it on a flat surface in the fridge to defrost overnight, as it can take around twelve hours to defrost fully. 

Once your shortcrust pastry is defrosted, you will then need to remove it from the fridge and allow it to stand at room temperature for up to one hour. When your pastry is soft, you can begin rolling it to the appropriate size for your recipe. 

Can You Refreeze Shortcrust Pastry?

We wouldn’t recommend refreezing shortcrust pastry after you’ve already defrosted it. This is because the crystals that form on the pastry can affect its texture and ultimately reduce the quality of your baked goods in the future.

If you freeze a particularly big batch of shortcrust pastry dough, consider splitting it before you place it in the freezer, so you only have to take out what you need at any given time. 

Does Shortcrust Pastry Freeze Well?

Shortcrust pastry dough freezes pretty well. However, it will only be good in the freezer for around one month.

If you want to freeze your pastry for longer, we would recommend cooking it first, as this will lengthen its shelf-life when in the freezer.

Providing you follow the steps and tips listed in this post, you should have access to a delicious shortcrust pastry from your freezer on demand and throughout the year if you decide to freeze it. 

Related FAQs

If you’ve still got questions about freezing shortcrust pastry or pastry in general, then these may help:

Is It Best to Freeze Pastry Cooked or Uncooked?

Uncooked pastry is the best way to freeze pastry in terms of texture and flavour. It also enables you to cook it fresh when you want to serve it up. The only drawback is that uncooked pastry will not last as long in the freezer.

If you freeze cooked pastry, it can last up to 6 months – that’s 6 times longer than uncooked pastry!

Can You Freeze Puff Pastry?

You can freeze puff pastry. The method for doing so is very similar to the one outlined on this page. If you want more detail, however, then check out our guide to freezing puff pastry.