Pastry Info
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The type you use is your choice and can depend on whether or not you are a vegetarian or have anything against animal fats. Whipped vegetable fats and margarines can be used but after years of cooking and sidebyside tests and castings my opinion is that in most cases the very best flavour and texture Ive obtained with shortcrust pastry is when equal quantities of lard and butter are used. Generally speaking the amount of fat in shortcrust is half the amount of flour thus for 4 oz (110 g) of flour you use 2 oz (50 g) of fat. People sometimes add more fat because they think this will produce a shorter texture; I do not agree with this and feel the result is actually heavier and too rich and fatty.
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Fat temperature is the single most important rule to remember. Fat should be at room temperature and soft enough for a knife to make an indentation straight through it in a second. This is because it needs to be incorporated into the flour as quickly as possible if its too cold you will have to rub it in for twice as long making the fat oily with the warmth of your hands and the pastry difficult to roll out. One tip here leave a note on the fridge the night before you want to make the pastry saying Dont forget to remove fat!
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But help! I forgot! Dont worry so do we all but dont panic. Put the cold fat cut into lumps in a processor together with the flour and process with the pulse button till you have a crumbly mixture (qv basic shortcrust pastry).
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SaltIve changed my mind on this over the years and now think that pastry like bread needs some salt even if it is to be used in sweet dishes.
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Keep coolThis means you yourself psychologically as well because keeping things as cold as possible is important. If the fat as I mentioned earlier becomes oily because the rubbing takes longer and everything is too warm what happens is it coats more flour grains than it should. This means the flour is unable to absorb enough water and the pastry will crumble and be difficult to roll out. I always make pastry by an open window as a bit of a draught coming in seems to keep things nicely cool.
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LiquidIn shortcrust pastry dont use milk or egg just add plain water and leave the tap running to get the water as cold as possible. Remember too that exact amounts can never be specified in recipes because the amount of water that flour absorbs varies. Start with about 1 tablespoon sprinkling it evenly all round then add more little by little. Too much water will make the pastry stick and too difficult to roll out and when its baked it will be hard; too little water on the other hand will also make rolling out a problem and the cooked result will be too crumbly. However dont be afraid if you follow the precise directions given below and on page 106 its easy to get just the right amount.
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AirBelieve it or not air is the most important ingredient in pastry. So rule number one is to sift the flour into the bowl holding the sieve as high up as possible so that the flour gets a really good airing before you begin.
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Rubbing in
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Once the flour is sifted into the bowl add the fat cut into smallish lumps then take a knife and begin to cut the fat into the flour. Go on doing this until it looks fairly evenly blended then begin to rub the fat into the flour using only your fingertips and being as light and gentle as possible. Being light with your fingers is not a special gift its just a conscious decision a signal the brain gives to the fingertips and then a bit of concentration.
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As you lightly rub the fat into the flour lift it up high and let it fall back down into the bowl which again means that air is being incorporated all the time and air is what makes pastry light. Speed is also whats needed here so dont start daydreaming and go on rubbing all day but just long enough to make the mixture crumbly with a few odd lumps here and there.
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Adding the water and mixingSprinkle 1 tablespoon of cold water in then with a knife start bringing the dough together cutting and turning and using the knife to begin to make it cling together. Then discard the knife and finally bring it all together with your fingertips. When enough liquid is added all the bits of flour and fat should be incorporated and the pastry should leave the bowl completely clean. If this hasnt happened then add a spot more water (sometimes it really only needs your fingers dipped into water once or twice to bring it together).
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Processing pastryI have found it impossible to make shortcrust pastry in a processor alone as you cant gauge how much water the pastry needs without feeling it. But it is possible to process the flour and fat in a processor and the advantage is that you can take the fat straight out of the fridge. Be careful not to overprocess just 12 minutes on a low speed is enough. Then tip it into a bowl and add the water as described earlier.
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RestingAll pastries must be rested before rolling out. If youre in a hurry this can seem like an awful bore but I promise you resting the pastry will in fact save you more time in the end. Why does it need to be rested? Flour contains something called gluten (see page 75) and gluten reacts to water in a way which if its given time makes the dough more elastic in texture so that when you come to roll out the pastry this elasticity makes the dough roll out like a dream. Without this resting time rolling can be a nightmare because the pastry wont have enough stretch so it will break and crack. So as the pastry is made place it in a polythene bag and leave it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
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SurfaceA flat surface is all you need to roll out a pastry board is not absolutely necessary a scrubbed kitchen top will do. If however you want to go on making pastry you might like to invest in a piece of granite or marble. It is expensive and very heavy but it will last a lifetime and can be purchased from a stonemason or marble supplier. The ideal size is approximately 18 x 18 inches (46 x 46 cm).
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Rolling outRolling out as Ive said is easy if the pastry has been rested. Use a rolling pin that is absolutely straight handles can get in the way if you want to roll out large quantities. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and place the pin also dusted with flour in the centre of it then place the flat of your hands lightly on each end of the pin and begin to roll redusting the pin and surface lightly with flour if you need to stop the pastry from sticking.
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If you want to roll it out to a round give it quarter turns as it expands and provided you roll backwards and forwards it will roll out into a round shape. Dont be tempted to roll from side to side unless for some reason you want to roll out a map of the UK! If you can concentrate on only going backwards and forwards you will end up with a better rounded shape. If you want an oblong just knock the sides gently with the rolling pin to keep it in shape; if you want a square give quarter turns as for a round and then square it up using the rolling pin to knock the edges into shape.
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Storing pastryMaking pastry in advance is perfectly alright it will keep for up to three days in a polythene bag in the fridge but dont forget to remove it and let it come back to room temperature before rolling it out. Raw pastry also freezes extremely well for up to three months.
Foodista
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