For a comforting winter meal, try baking shepherd’s pie inside a hot water pastry crust. This hearty meat and potatoes pie is filled with layers of seasoned ground beef and buttery mashed potatoes, then baked until the crust is crisp and golden brown.
You might also love these recipes for chicken pot pie with fluffy biscuits, crispy pan pizza, and red lentil soup with sausage.
This site contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that I may make a small commission if you purchase a product using those links. This in no way affects my opinion of those products and services. All opinions expressed on this site are my own.
What is Hot Water Crust?
Hot water crust is a traditional British pastry dough, mainly used for savory meat pies, rather than sweet dessert pastries or fruit pies. You’ve probably seen bakers make these types of pies if you’ve ever watched The Great British Baking Show! These pies are also frequently featured in book series like Outlander and Poldark. It’s worth noting that while I made my pie with a pre-cooked meat filling, they can also be made with a raw meat filling, which is cooked through while baking the pie.
When used hundreds of years ago, a hot water crust was often “hand-raised”, meaning, baked without a baking tin or mold. The crust itself served as the baking vessel to cook the meat and vegetable fillings, so it had to be very strong and sturdy. The crust might have even been so tough and tasteless, or possibly burned from cooking over an open fire, that people only ate the filling and then threw away the crust. I will say, though, that mine tastes buttery, crisp and delicious!
How is Hot Water Pastry Dough Different from Pie Dough?
Flaky pie dough recipes require cold butter and cold liquid, resulting in a tender, flaky crust. When the burst of oven heat causes the moisture from the fat to release steam, the crust puffs up with beautiful flaky layers. This type of dough is perfect for any type of dessert pie, but when baked with juicy fruit fillings, the crust can get soggy on the leftover pie. Fruit pies are always best eaten the same day they’re baked, when the crust is still crisp from the oven.
On the other hand, hot water dough uses boiling water and fat (sometimes lard, although I used butter) stirred into flour and salt, which makes a very sturdy dough. Because the liquid is so hot when it’s added to the flour, it partially cooks the dough and gelatinizes the starches as you stir and knead it together, which results in a crisp, strong pastry that doesn’t puff up at all as it bakes. There’s also no sogginess, even with the moisture of the gravy in the filling.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
- Ground Beef or Lamb. You can use either ground beef (cottage pie) or ground lamb (shepherd’s pie) for your meat pie. I like to use a lean ground meat (93/7), so that I don’t need to drain off any fat after cooking.
- Vegetables. Carrots and onions in the meat filling add so much more interest than mushy peas, in my opinion. For the mashed potatoes, I used russets.
- Spices. Besides salt and pepper, minced garlic, along with dried rosemary, thyme and parsley adds flavor to the filling.
- Flour. All purpose flour is the base of the crust.
- Butter. When making the dough, melt the butter into the boiling water. The addition of the butter will make the crust so much more flavorful to complement the savory meat and potato fillings.
Tips for Using Hot Water Pastry Dough
- Make the Fillings First. You’ll be getting your fillings ready first, so that they are finished when it’s time to roll out your dough and assemble your pie.
- Keep the Dough Warm. You must work with the hot water crust while it’s moist, warm and pliable. If you let it cool down or dry out, it will become crumbly, prone to tearing, and difficult to work with. If you watch the video in today’s recipe card, you’ll see that I had no trouble at all with my dough. If yours tears, though, simply press it back together and patch it up in the pan to seal any cracks or tears.
- Make it Decorative. One of the benefits of hot water crust is that because of its strength, it holds its shape perfectly. So make it as beautiful and decorative on top as you like. Crimp the edge, make impressions with a fork or stamp, and add pretty cutouts.
Instructions
Getting Ready
- To bake your pie, you’ll need a springform pan with removable sides/base. I used an 8 inch pan with a 3-inch depth, but this is not a common size. You could also use a 9 or 10 inch pan with a 2 inch depth. I also lined the bottom of my pan with parchment paper to make sure the crust didn’t stick.
- You’ll be getting your fillings ready first, so that they are finished when it’s time to roll out your dough and assemble your pie. You must work with the hot water crust while it’s moist, warm and pliable. If you let it cool down or dry out, it will become crumbly, prone to tearing, and difficult to work with.
- Preheat the oven to 375 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.
Meat Filling
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil until hot. Add the ground beef/lamb. Cook the meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned.
- Add the onion, carrots and garlic. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, until the vegetables have softened slightly.
- Stir in the tomato paste, flour and spices, until everything is well combined.
- Add the broth/water, and cook for several more minutes until the liquid has slightly thickened, and everything is coated in the gravy.
- Set aside until needed.
Mashed Potatoes
- Peel and chop the potatoes, then place them in a saucepan. Cover the potatoes with water.
- Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then boil for about 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Drain the water.
- To the boiled potatoes, add the butter, milk, salt and pepper, and mash the potatoes until fluffy.
- Set aside until needed.
Crust
- In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt.
- In a saucepan, bring the water and butter just to a boil over medium high heat, then remove from the heat. Pour the boiling liquid into the flour mixture and stir it together into a crumbly mixture.
- Dump the dough crumbs out onto a clean counter. Use your hands to knead the dough, just until it comes together into a ball. The dough will be warm, but should not be too hot to handle.
Assembly
- Cut off 1/3 of the dough to use for the top crust. Wrap this portion in plastic wrap to keep it warm and moist, and set it aside.
- On a floured counter, roll out 2/3 of the dough into a circle large enough to fit into your pan with an inch or two hanging over the sides.
- Fit the dough into the pan, pressing it against the sides.
- Spoon the prepared meat filling into the crust, then top the meat filling with the mashed potatoes.
- On a floured counter, roll out the remaining 1/3 of the dough, then place the top crust over the filling.
- Use scissors to trim the edges, leaving enough overhang to press the top and bottom crust together. Use your fingers to crimp it all around.
- Gather up any remaining dough scraps, roll them out again (the dough may be stiffer and more crumbly now), and cut out leaves or other decorative shapes.
- For the egg wash, whisk together the egg with 1 tbsp water. Brush the egg wash over the top crust. Place the decorative cutouts on top, and brush those with egg wash, too.
- Use a knife to poke a hole in the center to vent steam.
Bake
- Bake the pie at 375 F on the center oven rack for about 55-65 minutes, until the crust is crisp and golden brown.
- Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove the sides of the pan.
- Cool the pie for another 15-30 minutes, then serve warm. Since the ground meat and mashed potato filling is very soft, don’t expect to be able to cut super neat, clean slices of pie. It may be a little messy, but it will be delicious!
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can reheat the leftover slices of pie in the microwave at 60-70% power. Even leftover, the crust will stay crisp, not soggy. The leftover pie is good for up to two days; after that, the crust seemed to get a bit stale. That said, this pie will be best when it’s hot from the oven.
To bake just the fillings without the crust, you can layer the meat filling topped with the mashed potatoes in a 9×9 inch baking dish. Bake at 350 F for about 30 minutes and serve hot.
Sure! Prepare the fillings to bake in a 9×9 inch baking dish as instructed in the previous FAQ. Make half the dough recipe for just a top crust, making it as decorative as you like. Bake at 375 F for 30-45 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Rather than cutting slices, just scoop out portions with a spoon.
You Might Also Like
Please check out my Amazon Shop for a curated collection of some of my favorite cake pans from trusted brands, baking tools, ingredients, pretty things and fashion finds. I recommend products that I buy and use every day!
Did you love today’s recipe? Please rate the recipe and let me know in the comments what you thought! Also, be sure to follow Curly Girl Kitchen on Instagram, and tag me when you try one of my recipes so I can see all your delicious creations!
Shepherd’s Pie with Hot Water Pastry Crust
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- 8 or 9 Inch Springform Pan with 3 Inch Depth
Ingredients
Meat Filling
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb lean ground beef or ground lamb
- ½ sweet yellow onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 ½ tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp dried parsley
- ¼ tsp dried rosemary
- 1 cup low sodium beef broth, chicken broth or water
Mashed Potatoes
- 1 ½ lbs peeled and chopped russet potatoes
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¼ – ½ cup whole milk
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Crust
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup unsalted butter
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
Getting Ready
- To bake your pie, you'll need a springform pan with removable sides/base. I used an 8 inch pan with a 3-inch depth, but this is not a common size. You could also use a 9 or 10 inch pan with a 2 inch depth. I also lined the bottom of my pan with parchment paper to make sure the crust didn't stick.
- You'll be getting your fillings ready first, so that they are finished when it's time to roll out your dough and assemble your pie. You must work with the hot water crust while it's moist, warm and pliable. If you let it cool down or dry out, it will become crumbly, prone to tearing, and difficult to work with.
- Preheat the oven to 375 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.
Meat Filling
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil until hot. Add the ground beef/lamb. Cook the meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned.
- Add the onion, carrots and garlic. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, until the vegetables have softened slightly.
- Stir in the tomato paste, flour and spices, until everything is well combined.
- Add the broth/water, and cook for several more minutes until the liquid has slightly thickened, and everything is coated in the gravy.
- Set aside until needed.
Mashed Potatoes
- Peel and chop the potatoes, then place them in a saucepan. Cover the potatoes with water.
- Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then boil for about 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Drain the water.
- To the boiled potatoes, add the butter, milk, salt and pepper, and mash the potatoes until fluffy.
- Set aside until needed.
Crust
- In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt.
- In a saucepan, bring the water and butter just to a boil over medium high heat, then remove from the heat. Pour the boiling liquid into the flour mixture and stir it together into a crumbly mixture.
- Dump the dough crumbs out onto a clean counter. Use your hands to knead the dough, just until it comes together into a ball. The dough will be warm, but should not be too hot to handle.
Assembly
- Cut off 1/3 of the dough to use for the top crust. Wrap this portion in plastic wrap to keep it warm and moist, and set it aside.
- On a floured counter, roll out 2/3 of the dough into a circle large enough to fit into your pan with an inch or two hanging over the sides.
- Fit the dough into the pan, pressing it against the sides.
- Spoon the prepared meat filling into the crust, then top the meat filling with the mashed potatoes.
- On a floured counter, roll out the remaining 1/3 of the dough, then place the top crust over the filling.
- Use scissors to trim the edges, leaving enough overhang to press the top and bottom crust together. Use your fingers to crimp it all around.
- Gather up any remaining dough scraps, roll them out again (the dough may be stiffer and more crumbly now), and cut out leaves or other decorative shapes.
- For the egg wash, whisk together the egg with 1 tbsp water. Brush the egg wash over the top crust. Place the decorative cutouts on top, and brush those with egg wash, too.
- Use a knife to poke a hole in the center to vent steam.
Bake
- Bake the pie at 375 F on the center oven rack for about 55-65 minutes, until the crust is crisp and golden brown.
- Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove the sides of the pan.
- Cool the pie for another 15-30 minutes, then serve warm. Since the ground meat and mashed potato filling is very soft, don't expect to be able to cut super neat, clean slices of pie. It may be a little messy, but it will be delicious!
Video
Notes
- Reheating. You can reheat the leftovers in the microwave at 60-70% power. Even leftover, the crust will stay crisp, not soggy.
- Shepherd’s Pie vs Cottage Pie. The main difference between these types of pie is the meat used. Traditionally, in the UK, shepherd’s pie is made with lamb, and cottage pie is made with beef. However, in the US, most people use the term “shepherd’s pie” interchangeably for both types of meat fillings.
- Baking without the Pastry Crust. To bake just the fillings without the crust, you can layer the meat filling topped with the mashed potatoes in a 9×9 inch baking dish. Bake at 350 F for about 30 minutes and serve hot.
https://curlygirlkitchen.com/
This looks amazing and I have wanted to make a hot water crust ever since I watched The Great British Baking Show. Can I assemble this in the morning-refrigerate and then bake and serve for a dinner party that evening?
I think it should be fine, but it’s going to take longer to heat through since your fillings will be cold from the fridge. When I baked mine, everything was warm to begin with. You’ll probably want to check the internal temperature with a digital thermometer after baking to be sure it’s hot all the way to the middle.