Pastry advice please - rough puff??

[FusionChefGeoff]

I don't know what type of pastry this is, but looking at the recipe would this be improved / destroyed if done in a food processor??

I've never made pastry before

I suspect it might not be happy being done in a food processor - the point is to keep the butter a bit chunky so you get the flakes rather than rubbing it all in as you would for shortcrust. Just grate the butter into a bowl of flour and stir.

Just make it exactly as it says in point 2. It's really easy. I tried making pastry this way for the first time ever last week & it was lovely.

The butter will be OK from the fridge, as long as it's very cold.

Definitely don't use a food processor.

The risk of mixing it in a food processor is you over mix and blend it into a smooth dough rather than just bringing it together and having the little butter grattings that give the pastry its texture.

If you're really keen not to bring it together by hand you could use a pulse setting but stop as soon as its binding. You'd still end up finishing by hand though.

Destroyed in a food processor. The butter will get over mixed. You want lumps of butter.

Paul Hollywood does some brilliant videos on YouTube for pastry making!

Phew thanks everyone you've saved me from a disaster. Will do it by hand.

Argh me again - can't get to shops and only have 245 of the required 300g plain flour - could I substitute 00 pasta flour, strong bread flour or self raising???

I'd be tempted to use the pasta flour I think... Could you not just reduce the recipe?

bread flour will be fine.