Basic
Pastries
Shortcrust
Pastry
(for
sweet and savoury pies and tarts)
Ingredients
8oz
plain flour
4oz butter or margarine
pinch of salt
cold water
Method
Sift the
flour and salt into a large mixing bowl.
Add the butter and chop it up roughly with a knife.
With cool fingertips, rub the fat into the flour until
the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add 2tbs of cold water and then, using a knife, mix
lightly into a dough.
Add a little more water if necessary but be careful not
to add too much.
The dough should not be sticky. Gently bring the dough
into a ball by hand,
gathering up any stray bits of dough.
Leave to rest in the fridge for a couple of hours before
using.
To use, roll lightly with a rolling pin on a lightly
floured surface.
Choux Pastry
Ingredients
50
g (2 oz)butter or margarine
150 ml (¼ pint) water
100 g (4 oz) Plain Flour
3 medium eggs, lightly beaten
Method
Place
fat in water and melt over gentle heat, then bring to
boil. Remove from heat and stir in flour.Return to heat,
stirring until mixture forms a ball in middle of
pan.Transfer to a large bowl to cool.Thoroughly beat the
eggs into the cooled mixture, a little at a time with a
wooden spoon or electric whisk
Make sure water is boiling before adding flour, otherwise
a thin paste will form.
Flaky
Pastry
Ingredients
225 g (8
oz) Plain Flour
pinch of
salt
175 g (6
oz) fat, butter or margarine and lard
mixed
squeeze lemon
juice (optional)
100 ml
(4 fl oz) cold water (approx)
Method
Mix
flour and salt in bowl.Blend fats together and divide
into four portions.
Rub one
portion of fat into flour, add lemon juice and enough
cold water to form an elastic dough, using a round bladed
knife.Turn out on to a well-floured surface and roll out
into a rectangular strip. Brush off surplus flour.Cover
two thirds of pastry rectangle with another portion of
fat, dotting over the surface in knobs.Fold the pastry
into three bringing the end without fat to the centre,
then folding down the other third .Press together pastry edges
with fingers or rolling pin, give pastry half a turn, so
that the folds are left and right, and roll out lightly. Repeat the process twice more.
Roll out again and fold up.
Leave in
a cold place for 1 hour before use.
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