Why does my pastry shrink in the tin?
Gluten tension, the resting that releases it, and why stretching pastry into a tin guarantees shrinkage.
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Time
- 45 min
- Read
- 3 min
Short answer
Shrinkage is gluten pulling back. Handle the dough as little as possible, rest it chilled before and after lining the tin, and ease it into the corners rather than stretching it.
Pastry shrinks because it was stretched. The gluten remembers, and the oven is where it lets go.
Step by step
- Handle it as little as possible.Every extra second of working develops gluten. Bring it together, wrap it, and stop — pastry should look barely combined.
- Keep everything cold.Cold fat, cold water, cold hands, a cold surface. Warm pastry needs more working to handle, which develops more gluten.
- Rest it before rolling.At least 30 minutes chilled after making. It lets the gluten relax and the flour hydrate, and it makes the dough far easier to roll.
- Ease it into the tin, never stretch it.Lift the pastry in and push it gently into the corners. Stretching to fit is the single biggest cause of shrinkage — it pulls back exactly as far as you stretched it.
- Leave an overhang.Let the excess hang over the rim rather than trimming flush. Trim it after baking with a sharp knife, which gives a clean edge and allows for any pull-back.
- Rest it again in the tin.Another 30 minutes chilled once lined. This is the step that most reliably prevents shrinkage and it is the one most often skipped.
- Blind bake properly.Baking paper and ceramic beans or rice right up the sides, not just in the base. The weight holds the sides against the tin while the structure sets.
- Do not overwork the trimmings.Re-rolled pastry has more developed gluten and shrinks more. Use it for the least visible parts.
Tips
- Ease it in, never stretch it. Pastry pulls back by exactly the amount it was stretched.
- Rest it twice — after making and again once it is in the tin.
- Leave the overhang and trim after baking. It gives a cleaner edge as well as allowing for movement.
Common mistakes
- Stretching pastry to fit the tin — The gluten is under tension and contracts as it heats, so the sides slump down the tin. Easing it in without tension is the whole fix.
- Skipping the chill after lining the tin — The gluten is still tense from handling and the fat is soft. Thirty minutes in the fridge relaxes one and firms the other, and it is the most effective single step.
If it doesn't work
Sides slumped down the tin
Cause: Stretched, or not rested — Fix: Rest chilled before and after lining, and ease the pastry in rather than pulling it.
Base puffed up
Cause: Not docked or weighted — Fix: Prick the base and blind bake with beans right up the sides.
Pastry tough as well as shrunken
Cause: Overworked — Fix: Handle less, keep everything colder, and rest longer.
Cracks when rolling
Cause: Too dry, or too cold straight from the fridge — Fix: Let it soften for a few minutes before rolling, and add a touch more water next time.
Questions people ask
How long should pastry rest?
At least 30 minutes chilled after making, and again after lining the tin. Longer does no harm and an hour is better if you have the time.
Does baking beans really matter?
Yes, and they need to go right up the sides rather than sitting in the base. They hold the pastry against the tin while the structure sets.