Short pastry

minimacka

Hi i made some pastry yesterday using the Hairy bikers recipe and popped it into the fridge, I took it out of the fridge for about 1/2 hour before rolling it but its "short" I have managed to roll it to make a top for my pie but wondered for future what I have done wrong, how do you make pastry so it isn't "short"

Thanks
Sally

minimacka

Anyone :think: ?

irishwexford

Sorry I can't help as mine is always too short as well. I try to use as little water as possible but very often have to make a pie with strips of pastry.
I'm sure you will get a more helpful reply soon

seraphina

I roll it as cold as possible - stick it in the fridge to rest and then roll it as soon as it comes out.

Is it made with butter? Using Trex gives a lovely pastry that's much easier to roll out but lovely and short when it's cooked.

have_a_nice_day_2

Hi
To make good short pastry
500g self raising flour
500g plain flour
250gbutter
250 g lard
water

mix with mixer flour and fat until all fat will go to flour,put some cold water,just enough to do pastry.

give rest for 30 minutes ,and reay to use

wssla00

The ratio i use is 2 flour :1 Fat

So eg I made one today that was 300g flour, 150g butter rubbed into breadcrumbs. Mine were a little gooey today so I added another sprinkle of flour to get it to the desired consistency.

I combine it with an egg, but you don't have to you can use water and I roll it in between parchment to save the work surface. Also if you flour the table and the rolling pin you knock out the fat to flour ratio which affects it too.

Don't over work the pastry. It makes it tough as old boots and make sure you use cold butter/fat and have cold fingers for the mixing in part. Run them under a cold tap before hand if you are hot handed.

It always works out fine when I do it, but if i'm lazy i do it in the food processor and it works ok too

HTH

ALIBOBSY

Shortness tends to come from the pastry being too high in fat or using lard/trex instead of other types of fat or from being too dry. It also helps to "work" it as little as possible.

My gran always taught me to make pastry quite wet and then it gets dryer from the flour you sprinkle on the board and the pastry. Mind you she would never have chilled it so neither do I lol.
My grans rec was dead simple half fat to flour rubbed together (plus about 1 -2 oz of sugar per 8oz of flour for sweet pastry-pinch of salt for savory) mix with milk until quite wetish.

Trouble is it isn't an exact recipe and you just get a feel for it. Been making it since I was about 5 lol.

Try different fats in the mix perhaps,marg tends to make a less "short" pastry. I never use egg in ours, but I think this just adds richness.

ali x

minimacka

Many thanks for your replies, the pie is in the oven so i hope it tastes nice when its done.

x

seraphina

The thing I find with pastry, is everyone has their pet recipe which they swear bling works flawlessly. Making pastry isn't my problem - it's trying to keep it in one piece when I'm rolling it out:rotfl:

mi_jardin

I use the recipe on the side of the Trex box, works well every time!

Justamum

irishwexford wrote: »

Sorry I can't help as mine is always too short as well. I try to use as little water as possible but very often have to make a pie with strips of pastry.
I'm sure you will get a more helpful reply soon

You might find adding a little bit more water will make it easier to roll out - I'm assuming that's the problem?