(Makes one 25cm flan case)

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

• Sift flour and salt into a large bowl.
• Cut cold butter into a very small dice. Sprinkle butter over flour.
• Lightly rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre.
• In a measuring jug, whisk together the egg yolk, castor sugar and cold water until the sugar is dissolved. Pour a little of the egg mixture into the well and gradually incorporate the flour and butter, adding more egg mixture as necessary, to make a smooth, firm paste.
• Knead pastry into a disc shape, wrap in gladwrap and rest for 30 minutes in the fridge before rolling.
• Spray a removable bottomed 25cm tart tin. On a lightly floured bench, roll pastry to a 32cm circle, 2mm thick. Carefully place the pastry into the tin, by rolling it loosely over the rolling pin, picking up, and rolling it over the flan tin. Press the pastry into shape without stretching it, being careful to exclude any air (allow the edges of the pastry to over hang the flan tin).
• Rest pastry for a further 20 minutes.
• To bake the pastry case blind, cover the pastry with aluminium foil and then fill the cavity with baking beans. Bake the pastry case at 150ºC for 10-15 minutes or until pastry is pale but set.
• Remove the tinfoil and baking beans and trim the over hang of pastry from the flan case. Return the flan case to the oven and bake for a further 10-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and cooked through.