A traditional recipe made following the official Cornish Pasty Council specifications. Robust pastry made with strong white bread flour, filled with beef, potato, swede, and onion with butter, brushed with egg wash, and baked until golden and crisp.
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Adapted from a video by John Kirkwood
Traditional Cornish Pasties (Following Authentic Recipe Guidelines)
potatopeeled and diced into approximately 1 cm pieces300 g
swedepeeled and diced into approximately 1 cm pieces; turnip or rutabaga can be substituted150 g
white onionhalf of a medium onion, diced small100 g
white pepper
to taste
beef skirt or ground beefdiced or minced300 g
butteradditional amount, diced into small cubes, placed on filling15 g
eggfor egg wash; milk or melted butter can be used as alternative1
Steps
▶ Tap a timecode to jump to roughly that moment in the video.
1
Prepare the pastry: Add strong white bread flour to a bowl, mix in salt. Dice the butter and lard (or vegetable fat) and rub into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, approximately 5 minutes.
2
Add water and combine: Using a dinner knife, cut the weighed water into the flour mixture. It will seem dry at first, but do not add excess water if measurements are correct. It should crumble apart when properly combined.
3
Hand knead the dough: Tip the dough onto the work surface, dust with flour, and hand knead like bread dough for 2–3 minutes. Form into a flat disc. This pastry is worked more than typical to create the desired robust texture.
4
Divide and chill: Weigh the dough and divide equally into four portions (approximately 75g each). Form each into a ball, then flatten into a disc. Wrap loosely in cling film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
5
Prepare vegetables: Peel and dice swede into approximately 1 cm cubes until reaching 150g. Do the same for potatoes, aiming for 300g. For onion, dice half a medium onion to approximately 100g.
6
Season the vegetables: Combine the vegetables with 1/2 teaspoon salt and white pepper just before assembling. Salt immediately draws moisture from vegetables, so season at the last moment.
7
Roll out pastry: Remove one portion of dough from the fridge at a time. On a floured surface, use an adjustable rolling pin set to 3mm (1/8 inch) to roll into an 8–9 inch circle. Turn and flip frequently, dusting with flour to maintain evenness. Return to fridge once rolled.
8
Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F or gas mark 3) and prepare egg wash: Crack an egg into a container and whisk until loose and runny. Milk or melted butter can be used if preferred.
9
Assemble pasties: Remove one pastry circle from the fridge, spoon one quarter of seasoned vegetables onto one side of the pastry. Optionally place 4–5 small butter cubes on the vegetables. Layer one quarter of beef on top, then add 4–5 more butter cubes. As meat cooks, it releases juices that mingle with melted butter and permeate the vegetables.
10
Seal and crimp: Brush egg wash around the pastry edge. Pull the pastry over the filling, pressing edges together while expelling air pockets. Crimp by placing your right thumb on the edge and pulling the pastry over the end with your left hand. Repeat along the entire edge to create the traditional fluted seal.
11
Place on baking tray and finish: Arrange sealed pasties on a parchment-lined baking tray. Once all four are assembled, coat each thoroughly with egg wash. Using a sharp knife, poke a chimney vent hole in each one.
12
Bake: Place the pasties in the preheated 170°C oven and bake for 45 minutes. If vegetables are cut larger than 1 cm, additional baking time will be needed.
13
Cool and serve: Remove from oven and allow to cool on a rack for approximately 15 minutes. The pastry should be golden and crisp, with a moist and tender filling.
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