Short Crust Pastry

Short Crust Pastry

Ingredients

100g plain flour

2 g salt

25g vegetable fat

25 g butter or margarine

25 – 50 ml water

Method

1. Sieve flour & salt
2. Rub in fat to a sandy consistency
3. Make a well in the centre
4. Add sufficient water to make a fairly firm paste
5. Handle as little as possible

Tips

The amount of water used varies according to:

-the type of flour used ( a very fine soft flour is more absorbent)

-the degree of heat (prolonged contact with hot hands and weather conditions)

Function exercise – try & match the function to the ingredient.

Use a ruler and pencil.

Hot Water Crust Pastry

Ingredients

100g strong plain flour

50g margarine

6.5 ml water

Method

1. Sift the flour & salt into a mixing bowl
2. Make a well in centre
3. Boil the fat with the water & pour immediately into the flour
4. Mix with a mixing spoon until cool
5. Mix to a smooth paste and use while still warm

Tips

Take care not to let liquid evaporate by over boiling.

Function exercise – try & match the function to the ingredient

Samosa pads

Ingredients

Wheat flour

Vegetable oil

Water

Salt

Method

1. Sift flour into bowl
2. Add water, vinegar and salt, mix to a thick paste
3. Add the oil, very slowly, while working the mixture
4. Mix until the dough becomes smooth & elastic
5. Cover for 30 minutes
6. Roll using a rolling pin initially, then a pasta machine to make the paste wafer thin.
7. Cover with a damp or oiled cloth while waiting to be used.

Tips

This pastry is very difficult to make, and is best bought as a ready made component (standard component).

Function exercise – try & match the function to the ingredient

Suet Pastry

Ingredients

100g plain flour

5 g baking powder

3 g salt

50g beef suet

65 ml water

Method

1. Sieve the flour, baking powder & salt
2. Mix in the suet
3. Make a well in the centre of flour
4. Add the water and mix lightly to a fairly stiff paste

Tips

Suet paste is used for steamed fruit puddings, steamed jam rolls, steamed meat puddings and dumplings.

If cooking temperature is too low, the paste will be heavy & soggy

Too much handling or overcooking will make paste tough

Function exercise – try & match the function to the ingredient

Flaky Pastry

Ingredients

100g strong flour

3 g salt

75 g margarine, chilled

and cut into 1 cm cubes

60 ml iced water

½ teaspoon lemon juice

Method

1. Sift the flour and salt into large chilled mixing bowl.
2. Lightly mix in the cubes of fat without rubbing in.
3. Make a well in the centre.
4. Add the water all at once and gather the dough into a ball.
5. Place the pastry dough on a lightly floured surface and press into a rough rectangle about 2 cm thick.
6. Dust a little flour over and under it, and roll out into a rectangle.
7. Turn 2 short ends to centre, fold in ½ again to form a square. This is one double turn. Allow to rest, covered, for 20 mins in a cool place.
8. Turn the paste through 90o, and roll out to another double turn, allow to rest again.
9. Give 3 more double turns allowing to rest between each. Allow to rest before using. The dough may be kept in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days before it is used.

Tips

Don't use a food processor to chop the margarine and flour; it warms the margarineand makes the pieces too small.

Function exercise – try & match the function to the ingredient

Sweet crust Pastry

Ingredients

100g plain flour

½ egg

25 g sugar

60 g margarine

3 g salt

Method

1. Sieve flour and salt
2. Lightly rub in margarine to a sandy texture
3. Make a well in the centre.
4. In a separate bowl add sugar to beaten egg, mix until dissolved.
5. Gradually mix in flour and margarine mixture and lightly mix to a smooth paste.
6. Rest paste before using.

Tips

Sweet ( or sugar) pastry is used for flans, fruit tarts and similar seet products.

Function exercise – try & match the function to the ingredient

Choux Pastry

Ingredients

100g strong flour

3 eggs

75 g margarine

3g sugar

3g salt

Method

1. Bring water, sugar and fat to boil in a saucepan. Water should boil at same moment as fat full dissolves
2. Remove from heat
3. Add sieved flour and mix to remove lumps
4. Return pan to moderate heat, stirring continuously until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.
5. Remove from heat, allow to cool
6. Gradually add beaten eggs, mixing well to form a glossy paste with a dropping consistency.

Tips

If the mixture is overcooked it becomes greasy & heavy

The pastry will be soft & not aerated if the eggs are not beaten, or the flour is insufficiently cooked, or the oven is too cool.

Function exercise – try & match the function to the ingredient

Puff Pastry

Ingredients

100g strong flour

3g salt

100g butter or margarine

65 ml ice-cold water

2 drops of lemon juice

Method

1. Sieve the flour & salt
2. Rub in ¼ of the fat
3. Make a well in the centre of flour
4. Add the water & lemon juice (used to make gluten more elastic)
5. Knead into smooth dough, shape into ball & relax for 30 minutes in a cool place
6. Cut a cross ½ way through the dough, pull out corners to form a star shape
7. Rollout the points of the star, leaving the centre thick
8. Knead the remaining fat to the same texture as dough

This is important – too soft & the fat will melt & ooze out, if too hard it will break through dough when rolled

1. Place fat in centre of dough, which is 4 times thicker than the flaps
2. Fold over the flaps
3. Roll out into a rectangle, cover while relaxing for 5-10 mins in a cool place.
4. Roll out further, turn 2 short ends to centre, fold in ½ again to forma square. This is one double turn. Allow to rest for 20 mins in a cool place.
5. Turn the paste through 90o, and roll out to another double turn, allow to rest again.
6. Give 2 more double turns allowing to rest between each. Allow to rest before using.

Tips

Care must be taken during rolling out to keep the ends & sides square

Air needs to be trapped in the pastry to make it light

Function exercise – try & match the function to the ingredient

Filo Pastry

Ingredients

100g strong flour

25 – 37 ml water

5 ml vinegar

3 g salt

10 ml olive oil

Method

1. Sift flour into bowl
2. Add water, vinegar and salt, mix to a thick paste
3. Add the oil, very slowly, while working the mixture
4. Mix until the dough becomes smooth & elastic
5. Cover for 30 minutes
6. Roll using a rolling pin initially, then a pasta machine to make the paste wafer thin.
7. Cover with a damp or oiled cloth while waiting to be used.

Tips

Always cover filo pastry with a damp cloth or polythene when not using, otherwise it dries quickly & is difficult to handle.

Filo pastry is usually purchased ready made as a standard component.

Function exercise – try & match the function to the ingredient

Collaborative revision materials for GSCE food Technology 2006