Which ingredient provides tenderness and flakiness in shortcrust pastry?

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Tenderness and flakiness in shortcrust pastry come from the fat. When you cut cold fat into the flour, the fat coats many flour particles and remains in small, solid pockets. As the dough bakes, the fat softens and melts, leaving tiny gaps that form separate layers. Those fat-filled layers create the flaky texture, and the fat also shortens the gluten strands, keeping the crust tender rather than rubbery. Water helps bind the dough, but too much water strengthens gluten and can make the crust tougher, not flakier. Flour provides structure to the crust, but it’s the fat’s presence and its disruption of the gluten network that mainly gives tenderness and flakiness. Salt adds flavor and can slightly influence structure, but it doesn’t produce the characteristic flaky crumb.