• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Savor the Flavour

  • Recipes
  • About Us
  • Contact
    • Privacy Policy/Disclaimer
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • About Us
  • Shop
  • Contact
    • Privacy Policy/Disclaimer
×

Home » British Recipes

How to Make Hot Water Crust Pastry

Published: Jul 1, 2022 by Emma · This post may contain affiliate links, which can earn us a commission.

3342 shares
  • 163
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Have you been looking for an easy pastry recipe that tastes amazing?  Look no further!  Our hot water crust recipe takes just 5 ingredients and a few minutes to throw together.

Use your homemade crust in Irish dingle pie or in these hand-raised chicken, bacon, and apricot pies.

baked hot water crust in a meat pie
Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • How to Make
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Store
  • Variations
  • Expert Tips
  • Recipe
  • Comments

Want to see our latest recipes?  Subscribe to our email newsletter to get our latest recipes, fun food facts, food puns, and behind the scenes news about our blog.

Ingredients

glass bowls of ingredients for hot water crust

Hot water pastry doesn't take any fancy ingredients, and can easily be made vegan. Let's explore each ingredient in this recipe.

  • Flour: Using a mixture of bread flour and all-purpose flour gives extra strength. You can use 100% all-purpose flour if you're not using this for free-form pies.
  • Lard: Lard has a higher melting point than butter, and gives this pastry a beautifully crisp texture when baked. Substitute with vegetable shortening if you're vegan.
  • Water: This ingredient binds everything together. Melting the lard and boiling it along with the water is what makes this recipe unique.
  • Salt: This adds flavor. Fine table salt is best here, as it easily incorporates into the mixture.

How to Make

Since our hot water recipe moves along quickly, I recommend measuring out all the ingredients before you start.  You'll need all-purpose flour, bread flour, salt, water, and lard.  (Using a little bread flour gives it extra strength.)

person heating lard and water and sifting flour
  1. Put the lard and water in a small saucepan and heat it up until the lard has melted and the mixture is boiling.
  2. While the water is heating up, sift the flours and salt into a broad bowl.
person stirring and kneading hot water crust

3. Immediately pour the boiling liquid into the flour mixture and stir until a dough forms.  It will look pretty dry at first, but will come together as you stir.

4. Knead the dough for a minute or two, until it's smooth and has cooled some.  This will build the gluten.

hot water crust in a bowl and being rolled out

5. Once the dough has been kneaded, use it while it's still warm, or keep in a double boiler until needed.  It will get hard and brittle when it's cooled.

6. Roll out the crust and use it in a pie. Our recipe is especially useful for free-form pies, such as hand-raised chicken, bacon, and apricot pies. It's strong enough to support itself while holding these heavy fillings.

Recipe FAQs

How does hot water pastry work?

It is similar to choux, a cooked dough made from flour, butter, water, and eggs. Hot water crust, however, doesn't contain egg, and uses lard instead of butter for a crisper texture, and it doesn't puff up in the oven like choux does.

What is hot water crust used for?

This crust is ideal for savory pies, such as this beef and potato pie.  Since this pastry is quite strong when baked, it's traditionally used for freestanding, hand-raised meat pies like pork pies or these chicken, bacon, and apricot pies. I wouldn't recommend using it for a sweet pie, as it is savory.

What does hot water crust pastry taste like?

It has a crispy, flaky texture and a slight chewiness from the bread flour. It has a neutral flavor than can be used with sweet or savory pies.

Why is my hot water crust pastry hard?

You may not have added enough lard/water, or you may have added extra flour. Either of these issues will make the end product dry and crumbly. However, if it cools off too much, it will harden and become brittle.

Store

How do you store hot water crust pastry?

It's best to keep it in a double boiler if you wish to keep it warm while you're preparing fillings. Pastry cases can be refrigerated overnight and filled the next day. Once it is baked into a pie, it will have to be stored in the fridge if the filling requires refrigeration.

Can I make hot water crust ahead of time?

Not really; it must be kept warm, so you need to make it fresh shortly before using it. It can't be refrigerated until after it's baked, or it will get cold and brittle. However, you can refrigerate empty pastry cases and fill them later once they have hardened.

Can I freeze it?

Yes, you can freeze hot water crust after it's baked, but I'd recommend making and enjoying it fresh for the best texture. Most savory pies made with this crust will keep in the freezer for 1-3 months as long as they are well sealed.

Variations

  • Gluten Free: Use your favorite measure-for-measure gluten free flour, such as Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur.
  • Vegan: Swap the lard for vegetable shortening.
  • Butter: Use a 50-50 blend by weight of butter and lard. Keep in mind that the pastry will have a different flavor and texture.

Expert Tips

  • Make sure all the ingredients and equipment are ready before you start.
  • Sift the flour to get rid of any lumps.
  • Add a few extra drops of water if the mixture seems too dry or crumbly.
  • Make sure to knead it well to build up the gluten structure.
  • Use the pastry while it's warm.  Keep it over gentle heat in a double boiler if you can't use it right away.

More Savory Pie Recipes You'll Love!

  • Forfar Bridies
  • Minced Beef Pie
  • Meat and Potato Pie Recipe
  • Chicken and Mushroom Pie

If you liked this recipe and found it helpful, give it some love by sharing!

Follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook for more crave-worthy recipes!

The pleasure of a 5-star review would be greatly appreciated.

Recipe

slice of meat pie made with hot water crust

How to Make Hot Water Crust Pastry

This 5-ingredient hot water crust pastry is made with a unique method that's a lot easier than regular shortcrust.  Your homemade meat pies will be even more delicious with this crisp, flaky pastry!
4.6 from 8 votes
Print Pin FavoriteSaved! Rate
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: British
Keyword: hot water crust, pastry
Prep Time: 7 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 16 oz
Calories: 64kcal
Author: Emma

Ingredients
 

  • ½ cup lard
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup bread flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Equipment

  • mesh sieve
  • wooden spoon

Instructions

  • Place the lard and water in a small saucepan over medium heat until the lard has melted and the mixture is boiling.
  • Meanwhile, sift the flours and salt into a medium bowl.
  • Once the mixture is boiling, immediately pour it into the flour mixture and stir until a dough forms.  The dough will appear too dry at first, but it will come together as you work it.
  • Knead in the bowl or on a work surface until it's smooth and has cooled a little.
  • Use immediately for a savory pie, or keep over gentle heat in a double boiler until needed.  For free-form pies, shape the pastry cases while it is warm, but chill them in the fridge to harden before adding the fillings.

Notes

  • Make sure all the ingredients and equipment are ready before you start.
  • Using bread flour gives it extra strength, which is ideal for hand-raised pies.  Feel free to substitute it with all-purpose flour.
  • Add a few extra drops of water if the pastry seems too dry or crumbly.
  • This pastry is wonderful for savory vegetarian and meat pies, but isn't recommended for sweet pies.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ozCalories: 64kcal (3%)Carbohydrates: 13g (4%)Protein: 2g (4%)Fat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.03gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.02gSodium: 38mg (2%)Potassium: 21mg (1%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 57IU (1%)Vitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 5mg (1%)Iron: 1mg (6%)

This hot water crust recipe was originally published on August 6, 2018 and was republished on July 1, 2022 with resized photos and refreshed content.

« No Bake Cherry Cheesecake
Chicken Fricassee »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. sandeep kr dubey

    May 23, 2021 at 10:39 am

    5 stars
    great work

    Reply
    • Emma

      May 24, 2021 at 7:36 am

      thank you!

      Reply
  2. Pa Booth the Pieman

    March 04, 2021 at 10:02 am

    4 stars
    If you are making a pork pie or hand raising the pastry around a pie dolly or jam jar, HOT hot water crust (HCW) pastry will tend to collapse. It seems counterintuitive but you are actually better letting the pastry cool to room temperature. It will still be malleable enough to form around the dolly but will retain sufficient strength to stand. At this stage the formed pastry is known as a pie coffin and can be filled. It the pastry is too cold, simply knead it for a couple of minutes, it will then be workable.

    Also 50/50 lard and butter gives a much richer pastry.

    Reply
    • Emma

      March 04, 2021 at 11:27 am

      Thanks for sharing this tip! I like to shape the pastry while it's still warm (not hot), as I find it gets brittle as it cools. I can definitely understand waiting to fill the pastry with the filling once it has cooled, as it would reduce bulging and would support the filling better.

      Reply
  3. Connie

    August 31, 2020 at 4:21 pm

    5 stars
    I am using this hot water crust pastry for a quiche. This was the most straightforward HWCP I could find.

    Typically the cold butter cold everything pastry tends to slump and shrink during the blind bake, Also, it is very crumbly and requires multiple rounds of chilling. I am hoping that this HWCP will hold up. I may have been too conservative in rolling it out as the dough filled the ceramic container but sprung back quite a bit. So you have to be pretty firm with the roll out. Still, it seems to hold well and it's just a different style of pastry. Maybe in the next few times I will actually use it as a free form pastry crust with savory fillings. .

    Overall, very easy to work in betw sheets. I used all purpose flour not having bread flour on hand. Also, used bacon fat as I have so much.

    Thank you for this recipe!!

    Reply
    • Emma

      September 01, 2020 at 10:15 am

      Hi Connie, thanks for your detailed comment! HWCP isn't the typical choice for quiches, as it's pretty sturdy, but it would taste delicious. HWCP is actually the best for freeform pies like the British pork pies. I do love how this pastry feels when one is working with it! Please check back in and let us know how you enjoyed eating it.

      Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

two ladies smiling

Welcome to our kitchen! We're Brooke & Emma, the mother-daughter team behind Savor the Flavour. As self-taught cooks and bakers, we love to inspire you to cook from scratch with real food for your family. Increase your kitchen confidence with our tempting recipes, instructional photos, and helpful tips and facts.

More about us →

logos of companies and newspapers

Celebrate Veganuary!

bowl of Panda Express eggplant tofu with bowls of garnishes

Veganuary Recipes

  • Copycat Chick-fil-A Kale Crunch Salad
  • Moroccan Lentil Stew
  • Giardiniera Pickled Vegetables
  • Panera Black Bean Soup (Copycat Recipe)
  • Easy Mushy Peas Recipe
  • Muffaletta Olive Salad

Popular Posts

  • Rosca de Reyes: Three Kings Bread
  • Roscón de Reyes (Spanish Kings' Cake)
  • Copycat Chick-fil-A Kale Crunch Salad
  • Blue Lagoon Mocktail
  • Avocado Lime Ranch - Chick-fil-A Copycat
  • How to Make French Press Coffee

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About Us
  • Work with Us
  • Press

Connect

  • Contact Us
  • Sign Up for Newsletter

Other

  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility

As an Amazon associate, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2017-2023 Savor the Flavour