Pastry Economics

zarazara

great thread. thanks.

hotcookie101

i buy all butter puff pastry from sainsburys ttd. cant remember how much it costs, but all butter so no hydrogenated fats, jusrol do a frozen all butter too (but i prefer to but it fresh, split pack into 2, roll out then freeze) Life is too short to make my own puff pastry tbh

recovering_spendaholic

puff pastry is really easy to make once you get the knack of it. I use 8oz flour and 6oz fat (usually half butter and half lard or sometimes all butter). I cube the fat and put it into the freezer for an hour before using, then I just put the fat into a bowl with the flour and a pinch of salt and add some iced water and make into a dough. It's important not to try and rub the fat in just leave it in the cubes. Then roll it out into a rectangle and fold it into three, folding the top of the dough down first and then the bottom up over it IYKWIM. Then turn the folded dough one turn to the right and do the same again, and then do it a third time, then put it back in the fridge for half an hour. Repeat twice more and it is ready to use. This makes lovely flaky pastry and is much cheaper then the shop bought stuff.

npsmama

recovering_spendaholic wrote: »

puff pastry is really easy to make once you get the knack of it. I use 8oz flour and 6oz fat (usually half butter and half lard or sometimes all butter). I cube the fat and put it into the freezer for an hour before using, then I just put the fat into a bowl with the flour and a pinch of salt and add some iced water and make into a dough. It's important not to try and rub the fat in just leave it in the cubes. Then roll it out into a rectangle and fold it into three, folding the top of the dough down first and then the bottom up over it IYKWIM. Then turn the folded dough one turn to the right and do the same again, and then do it a third time, then put it back in the fridge for half an hour. Repeat twice more and it is ready to use. This makes lovely flaky pastry and is much cheaper then the shop bought stuff.

i'm going to try this tomorrow. I'd love to be able to make flaky pastry!

thriftlady_2

Ben84 wrote: »

They all seem to contain hydrogenated fat, no matter what the price or brand.

The only pastry I buy is puff pastry as it takes so long to make. I don't like the hydrogenated fats however, but can't find any puff pastry without them. .

Jusrol make an all butter puff pastry;) Waitrose stock it. But, as Purpleivy points out it is expensive.

For a really easy and quick flaky pastry you must try Delia's. I swear by it for sausage rolls at Christmas. I'm going to use it for my mince pies this year too.

purpleivy

Oh dear. I'm not a Pastry fan at all, but I think if someone gave me hm butter flaky pastry I might get to like it! HM always seeems like a load of faff, but when you are pottering at home, you can keep going back to it.