For this first baking skills and techniques post, I am going to quickly explain to you how you can line a tart/flan tin without tearing the pastry! This method is fail-proof and so easy to do! I call it the “Fold-over Method”.
Lining a pastry tin is a key skill every baker needs to have. It is required when making all sorts of pastry-based bakes, like sweet tarts (e.g. Bakewell Tart, Mini Blueberry Bakewell Tarts, Lemon Meringue Pie) or savoury quiches.
Other methods just don´t work for me…
Over the years, I have seen so many tips and tricks on how to get the pastry into the tin without it tearing. Most often, it involves carefully lifting the pastry or wrapping it around a rolling pin. For me, that almost always results in my pastry tearing, at the latest when I am draping it over the tin!
There is nothing more annoying than your beautifully made pastry ripping when you are trying to use it to line your tin! Whilst you can always patch up the tears with some of the excess pastry, it just doesn´t get you the professional finish you might be aiming for!
So – today I am sharing with you a step-by-step picture guide of how to line a tart/flan tin. It requires no lifting which will make sure it does not tear! My “Fold-over Method“!
The basic recipe:
If you are looking for basic sweet or shortcrust pastry recipes, check out my post on How to make Shortcrust Pastry | Baking Basics #1.
Check out this video here for a visual on this technique!
How to line a Tart/Flan Tin –
The “Fold-over Method”
A step-by-step Picture Guide
- To start, lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin.
- Place the bottom of your loose-based flan tin onto the work surface and lay your pastry dough on top. Press down gently to flatten into a disk.
- Roll the pastry out until it is at least 2-3 cm wider in diameter than the underlying bottom of the tin, and about 3-4 mm thick.
- Roughly trim the pastry (if necessary) to a circle that is 2-3 cm wider than the base of the tin.
- Next, fold over the edges of the pastry toward the middle of the base.
Amazing! No lifting of the delicate pastry! Just fold it over and place it into the rim!
- Carefully lift the base with the pastry on top and place it into the rim of the tin. You should be able to slide it in very easily.
- Now you can simply unfold the pastry again and gently press into the sides of the tin!
- To make sure you end up with a perfectly fluted pastry case, the pastry needs to be completely pushed up against the sides of the tin. A good way of doing this is to roll some of the excess pastry into a ball, dust it with flour and use it to press the pastry into the sides of the tin.
- Don´t trim off the overhang just yet, as the pastry case might still shrink during the chilling/baking. Wait to trim the pastry case until after blind baking (see my baking basics post for more info on that).
You can now go on to use this method to create some wonderful pastry bakes! If you are looking for more basic baking recipes, why not check out my other posts on How to Master Chocolate (Melting, Decorating, Tempering), How to Make Homemade Puff Pastry How To Make Hot Water Crust Pastry, The Perfect Buttercream, or How to make your own Sourdough Starter so that you can make this amazing Crusty Sourdough Bread!
