pastry

[Berrie]

Why is my pastry like cardboard? I do everything I'm meant to according to the recipe and pastry hints but it's always the same!

do you have warm hands?

I do so I'm a crap pastry maker!

have you got warm hands - this is my excuse for not making pastry

You need to keep pastry as cold as you can when working it. I find it turns funny when it has got too warm.

Also overworking it can make it funny.

Have you tried these?

make it in the processor - perfect every time. Even I can do it .

x-posts - snap

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My hands are not cold I suppose and I handle it as little as I can...

will try the processor, thought that would count as over handling!

do it in one-second bursts and stop when it comes together

(you could freeze the fat and flour first and/or use iced water too)

Is it really the heat that turns it to cardboard then? I wondered if I was using the wrong amount of water too. What effect would this have?

wrong amount of water would just make it sticky/too wet ime.

I think the heat changes the texture of the pastry cos of the butter. When you melt butter and then leave it to reform again, the consistency is slightly different. I think that is what changes the texture of the pastry.

When I've made pastry in food processor its come out alright.

Thanks will try

try using lemon juice instead of or as part of the water used to bring it together - it makes it very tender and light (something to do with the acid). Also as already mentioned cold hands (kitchen window open etc.) and don't over work it but you don't.

I only got the hang of pastry after watching my dad make it, it somehow doesn't come across in a recipe book.

I've only ever had real success with Nigella's pastry. She uses Trex & orange juice.

oooo good tips thanks will try

you need less water than you think. if it's too wet it makes it hard.

saying that - i cheat and buy ready made

To make sure your hands are cold, run them under the cold tap. Then dry them and get on with making the pastry.

I put the pastry in the fridge for half an hour or so before I roll it. It seems to work better that way. ( I don't have a food processor)
I also mix lard & margarine for the "fat".

Back in the day I used to be a pastry chef so I may be able to help. All of the advice so far is generally excellent. I assume you are doing shortcrust pastry?

When making shortcrust you have to remember that you are, essentially, deep frying flour. So, fat is important. I found that a 50/50 mix of butter (US) and lard / or (cold!) olive oil to your flour does the business for nice crumbly texture. Lard is better.

Use iced water for your mix (i just used to pop in a couple of crushed ice cubes instead of water) - don't overwork the pastry.

Bob's your uncle.

lard makes it shorter butter richer, so use half and half like said also against all recipes use half plain and half self raising flour.
always half fat to flour.
Good luck!!