Jamie Oliver
@jujupickers: How do you stop shortcrust pastry from shrinking?
Jamie Oliver: First off, don't handle it too much – press it together quickly and don't knead it. Then once you've rolled it out and put it in the tin, use a fork to make little holes all over to get rid of trapped air. When I make a tart, I bake it blind, where you have two choices: Let the pastry overhang the tin to allow for shrinking, or trim the edges, line it with parchment paper and fill it with rice or baking beads to stop it contracting or rising. Cook for 10 minutes, then remove the paper and rice/beads, pop it back in the oven for about 5 minutes to crisp up and you'll be laughing.
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