How easy is it to make pastry ?

[shinyshoes]

Following on from my chicken thread .

I think I wanna make a chicken pie. How easy is it to make pastry. I have look on the BBC food website and it requires suet and lard . I don't have these and I Dont want to go out I haven't left the house since Sunday as I'm trying for a personal best .

Does anyone has a pastry recipe they'd like to share please.

[slug]

125 g flour
50g butter
Pinch of salt
Iced water

Sift the flour and salt together. Cut the pastry up into small chunks then rub the butter into the flour. You should end up with something that looks a bit like breadcrumbs with no large lumps of butter. Dribble the water in while mixing with a knife (I have no idea why this works but it does) Start with about a tablespoon of water, then try and mould the dough into a ball. Keep ading little bits of water at ta time until you get a ball.
Alternatively you can use a food processor. Whizz in the butter then drip in the water till it forms a ball.
Wrap the dough up in clingfilm and leave it to rest in the fridge for half an hour or so. This makes it easier to roll and produces a better pastry.

For chicken pie, you could try adding some grated cheese to the pastry before the water. Reduce the butter a ittle in this case.

[MrsBadger]

tis easy

use butter or marge or whatever you have in the house, but not Benecol or anything 'extra light'. Stork in the foil-wrapped blocks is good.

but do it in th efood processor if you have one - rubbing in is my least favourite baking task

[StirlingIsFedUpOfTheRain]

Would lard work in pastry does anyone know??

[tots2ten]

Lard works well in pastry

[StirlingIsFedUpOfTheRain]

Thanks tots2ten, I have a dd who is allergic to dairy and thought the pastry wouldnt work well with dairy free spread so I shall try lard instead

[MrsBadger]

Stork in blocks in the foil wrapper is dairy-free too

or you could use half lard half flora

[StirlingIsFedUpOfTheRain]

Thanks Mrs B, didn't know stork in blocks was dairy free,

I have been buying the ready made pastry because it is dairy free but I am not impressed with it.

I shall try making it myself

[hatwoman]

came on here to say something about my pastry prowess. but got rather blown out of the water by your pb re leaving the house. sunday?? that's awesome.

[hambler]

very