Making pastry

Mschappie

Try using 2oz lard and 2oz butter or margarine and mix with cold water.
Rub the fats into the flour and then mix with the cold water. Don't handle the pastry too much. When it's mixed together wrap the pastry in cling film and chill in the fridge for about half an hour. Then roll it out. Try not to handle it too much or the pastry goes hard.

Mschappie

stellagypsy

Mschappie is right - it's too "short" - you need to use half marg (Stork in a block or Echo) and half white fat (I don't like lard so I use a refined veg fat like Flora in a block). Make sure you chill it before rolling out. You can freeze any left overs - I cut out the rounds and stack them, they defrost very quickly when you ned them.

Also - do you have a food processor? You can make very good pastry in one (I mostly use mine for this). Put the flour in the processor, chop the chilled fats up very small, whiz round till it resembles fine breadcrumbs then put it on a slow speed and drizzle in just enough water to make it bind together - take care, though, it takes less than you think. Then chill it, etc.

HTH - Stella xx

stellagypsy

Mschappie is right - it's too "short" - you need to use half marg (Stork in a block or Echo) and half white fat (I don't like lard so I use a refined veg fat like Flora in a block). Make sure you chill it before rolling out. You can freeze any left overs - I cut out the rounds and stack them, they defrost very quickly when you need them.

Also - do you have a food processor? You can make very good pastry in one (I mostly use mine for this). Put the flour in the processor, chop the chilled fats up very small, whiz round till it resembles fine breadcrumbs then put it on a slow speed and drizzle in just enough water to make it bind together - take care, though, it takes less than you think. Then chill it, etc.

HTH - Stella xx

AuntyJean

I was once told by a pastry cook that the secret is never to rub all the fat into the flour, leave lumps. Resting is essential.

When you go to roll it out you will need plenty of flour to stop the fat lumps sticking to the rolling pin. It looks as though it won't work but it does and I have always got great results. (Try 50/50 Trex and marge although I have made pasty with all Trex).

Queenie

You may find this thread useful:

Help My Pastry is a Disaster ... HTH

squeaky

frostyspice wrote:

Made some mince pies today. I haven't made pastry for years, and it came out ok save for being a little on the crumbly side when I rolled it out. Could anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong? I used 8oz of plain flour, 4oz lard and 4 teaspoons water. Any advice gratefully received before I start on the next batch.

I'd say not enough water. My trusty bero book says two tablespoons, which is about 30 mil (compared to twenty from your teaspoons).

I simply add enough to make sure that the dough is soft and pliable.

HTH

squeaky

I have merged this question with an earlier thead (mentioned by Queenie a little earlier) so you might have to read it from the beginning again to catch up with all the advice offered.

Good luck.

Lara

I want to make some sweet pastry for my mince pies (homemade mincemeat sitting and waiting to be used;) ). Can anyone tell me how much caster sugar I should add please? Thanks.

angelatgraceland

The only way I find that works is as follows: Measure your water into a jug and add it gradually, stirring the mixture with a fork-keep adding the water until the pastry more or less forms a ball with just a bit of flour left at the bottom of the bowl)(about a tablespoon or so). Now use your hands to form the pastry into a ball. I find this always works for me-I used to be AWFUL at pastry but now I get 100% sucess. I know this is not Mrs Normals method but it does work! The other thing I found is that what often ruined my pastry is that my hands were too warm. Chill the water you are using for half hour in the freezer if possible. Run you hands and wrists under the cold tap before you handle the pastry. This also helps as when the fat melts in the pastry mix it can go gooey if it gets too warm. Good luck-I do hope this helps.

HOLsale

catkins wrote:

Just don't seem able to get it right - either to dry or too wet - usually too dry. I add as much water as the recipes state, but it never seems to be enough, but if I add more it then seems to be too much even though I have only added a few drops. Where am I going wrong? Is there a foolproof method. It is annoying because apart from pastry I am not a bad cook.

I made some today and when I went to roll it out it kept crumbling. I assumed it was too dry so tried to add more water but it was such a disaster I had to throw it away. I had already made a mixture for fillings (was going to make spicy chickpea pasties and cheese and onion pasties) so don't know whether to try again tomorrow or resort to buying frozen pastry

ok here's my way of doing it. i hated pastry (both eating and making) until i started doing this. it probably breaks a dozen 'rules' for pastry making but it works and tastes very nice

pour what you think is enough flour in a bowl (you'll be able to judge eventually, use your recipe as a guideline, then shut the book and put it away!)

then cut off some butter slivers. i add a fair amount. you need to crumble the butter through the flour until it is all crumbly and has very few tiny tiny clumps and it should look pale yellow... oh and use self rising flour, makes a huge difference to the end product

then add in just a bit of water at a time. the dough should be a bit sticky

flour your rolling surface, wet your hands and the rolling pin and flour those too. roll out your dough adding a fine bit of flour as neccessary if it's too sticky

try to roll it out as big as possible the first time as it gets tougher each time you roll it out (though it still is pretty good so don't worry yourself too much) then cut and use

it's gorgeous and beautiful and i get compliments and now i actually EAT pie crusts when i can be bothered to make it. i was taught this by a chef and i'll be forever greatful for it... really lovely stuff

about the water... add about 1/4 cup to start with then add a few tablespoons at a time until you've managed to scrape everything away from the sides of the bowl and again it should be a bit sticky

good luck!