Why am I so shit at pastry?

[LittleMissRayofHope]

Self explanatory title there.

I am crap at it! I have just wasted an entire sheet of ready rolled pastry trying to make some little fruit tartlets.
The first four I made the grease proof paper stuck to them so when I tried to remove the baking beads it ripped apart the bases.
The second ones I made I didn't use baking beads and I ended up with sides that shrank and the bases had puffed up so much I had super thick pastry biscuits!!

My pastry ALWAYS shrinks. Regardless of how careful I am not to stretch it and how careful I am to follow a recipe to the letter.

Should I just accept that I'm crap at pastry and give up forever? [sob]

Do you leave it to rest a bit after rolling out? The less handling the better, so could be that's part of the issue.

It's very hot at the moment. Was the pastry chilled?

Lined the tins and chilled for 30 mins.

I always follow recipes to the letter and am just rubbish at it :(

I so want to be good at pastry. I know I can buy tart cases but that kind of feels like cheating a little to me!!

Yes it needs to be cold and worked by hand as little as possible. Prick the base and check it after 5 mins in the oven and press it back down gently if it puffs up. Baking beans are good too.

This did make me a bit. I thought it would be about hand made pastry, not shop bought.

I can see why you are frustrated if shop bought is going wrong.

Yes to the hot weather not being great. I never do the baking beans thing but do prick the bases over a lot to prevent them rising too much.