Here’s a complete, from-scratch guide to making Homemade Pasties — flaky pastry filled with a hearty meat-and-vegetable filling. 🥟✨
(Traditional Cornish-style, but I’ll include variations too.)
🥟 Classic Homemade Beef Pasties
🛒 Ingredients (Makes 4–6 pasties)
For the Pastry:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾ cup cold butter (cubed)
- 6–8 tbsp ice water
For the Filling:
- 1 lb beef (skirt steak, chuck, or sirloin), finely diced
- 1 medium potato, peeled & diced small
- ½ cup rutabaga (or turnip), diced small
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- Salt & black pepper (generous seasoning)
- 1 tbsp butter (optional, for richness)
- 1 egg (for egg wash)
🥣 Step 1: Make the Pastry
- In a bowl, mix flour and salt.
- Cut in cold butter until mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
- Add ice water gradually, mixing until dough forms.
- Shape into a disk, wrap, and chill 30–60 minutes.
🥩 Step 2: Prepare the Filling
- Combine diced beef, potato, rutabaga, and onion in a bowl.
- Season generously with salt and black pepper.
- Keep raw — traditional pasties cook the filling inside the pastry.
🥟 Step 3: Assemble
- Roll dough to about ⅛-inch thick.
- Cut into 8–9 inch circles.
- Place filling on one half of each circle.
- Add a small dot of butter on top (optional).
- Fold over to form a half-moon shape.
- Crimp edges tightly to seal.
Brush with beaten egg.
🔥 Step 4: Bake
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 40–50 minutes
- Pasties should be golden brown and firm
- Let rest 10 minutes before serving
🌟 Tips for Perfect Pasties
✔ Dice ingredients small for even cooking
✔ Don’t overfill
✔ Seal edges well to prevent leaks
✔ Let cool slightly — filling is very hot
🥔 Popular Variations
Chicken & Mushroom
Replace beef with diced chicken and sautéed mushrooms.
Cheese & Onion (Vegetarian)
Potato + onion + sharp cheddar.
Breakfast Pasty
Sausage, scrambled egg, and cheese.
Sweet Version
Apple, cinnamon, and brown sugar for dessert pasties.
🧊 Storage Tips
- Refrigerate up to 3 days
- Freeze unbaked or baked for up to 3 months
- Reheat at 350°F (175°C) until hot
If you’d like, I can also give you a super easy shortcut version using store-bought pastry that saves time but still tastes homemade.