How to Make Hot Water Crust Pastry at Home

This hot water crust pastry is thicker, sturdier, and ideal for heavy fillings like meat pies where flakier crusts might fail. You'll warm milk, water, and lard until boiling, pour into flour and salt, knead briefly, then roll out the dough thicker than your usual pie crust. It bakes up with a golden exterior and holds shape well-even as the inside filling cooks.

I use this hot water crust pastry for making meat pies. This style of pastry is sturdier and helps hold the heavy meat, a traditional flaky pastry pie crust would be too weak flimsy.

I know, I know you are thinking this goes against all other pie crust recipes with their ice-cold ingredients! Trust me, this works and it creates absolutely delicious tasting pastry.

My mom and aunties have always made hot water crust pastry with only lard, these days some people use a combination of equal parts butter lard. Feel free to switch it up if you prefer.

Lard + Heat + Flour: The Power Trio

• Lard Provides richness and "melt-in-your-mouth" texture. Crucial for the pastry's strength and pliability.
• Milk & Water Boiled with lard; the hot liquid partially cooks the flour and helps bind the dough so it's workable and strong.
• All-Purpose Flour & Salt Flour gives structure; salt enhances flavor. Mixing salt well avoids salty pockets in the crust.
• Egg Wash (egg + water) Brushed on before baking to produce a golden brown, shiny crust.

You'll also need an egg when you go to bake the pastry. A good egg washing ensures the crust is golden brown and shiny!

Make a Crust That Won't Flop

Now follow the instructions for the recipe you are using. This is how I roll and cut the dough for my mini pork pies.

Since hot water crust pastry is strong and pliable it is perfect for free-standing hand-raised pies. I use it in this pork pie recipe.

Work quickly you don't want the bottom pastry to lose its warmth because it will be harder to seal the top pastry to the bottom pastry.

★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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How to Make Hot Water Crust Pastry at Home

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This hot water crust pastry is thicker, sturdier, and ideal for heavy fillings like meat pies where flakier crusts might fail. You'll warm milk, water, and lard until boiling, pour into flour and salt, knead briefly, then roll out the dough thicker than your usual pie crust. It bakes up with a golden exterior and holds shape well-even as the inside filling cooks.

• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 1-9 Inch Pie Crust or 6 Muffin Size Pies 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 3oz Lard
• 3.5oz Milk
• 3.5oz Water
• 12oz (352 Grams) All-Purpose Flour/ Plain Flour
• ½ Teaspoon Salt

You'll also need an egg + water to create an egg wash to brush on top of the pastry before baking

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Instructions

1. In a large pot over medium heat warm the lard, milk, and water. Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. 
2. While the liquid is warming in a large bowl whisk together the flour and salt and get a wooden spoon ready.
3. When the liquid has boiled immediately add ¾s of it to the flour and carefully mix with the wooden spoon, be careful as the mixture will be hot. You may need to add more liquid or you may not, each batch is different. Keep mixing the pastry will look dry and crumbly at first but it will come together, you may need to add a tablespoon of liquid at a time for the dough to properly come together. Once the mixture is mostly combined you should be able to use your hand without burning it and knead the dough to ensure it is evenly combined and you have a smooth dough, knead for a minute or two.
4. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of just about ⅛- ¼ of an inch, this is thicker than your average pie crust. 
5. Take the baking vessel you are using and gently measure and score the pastry as to how much you will need to fill the bottom and sides of the pan. For a standard cupcake size pan, I use a 4-inch round circle, my coffee mug is a perfect size. Generously butter the baking pan then quickly and gently transfer the pastry into the buttered baking pan. Gently press the pastry into the corners and up the sides with a little overhang so when you put the pastry lid on you can seal the two together to create a crust. Use the same concept for a loaf pan or springform pan.
6. Bake according to the recipe instructions. For the muffin size, I bake them for 40 minutes inside the tin then gently remove and cook for an additional 20 minutes free standing on a sheet tray.

Equipment

OXO Kitchen Scale

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• Author: Elizabeth Waterson
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 60
• Category: Dinner, Appetizer
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: British

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