PASTRY: SHORT, SWEET , SUET, ROUGH PUFF & PUFF

Method

Making pastry, especially puff, can be time consuming so using a shop purchased pastry is perfectible acceptable. Many professional chefs opt for pre-made to save time and for some pies and sausage rolls I do the same.

If, however, you buy readymade make sure you buy a quality pastry and the correct type for what you intend to make.

Below are some basic recipes to make different sorts of pastry. None of these are hard to make, just don’t over work the pastry and allow the pastry to time to chill before use.

 

Basic Shortcrust Pastry - quantity will make a small pie

Ingredients
125g/4oz plain flour
pinch of salt
55g/2oz butter, cubed
30-45ml/2-3 tbsp cold water

Method by hand

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl and add the cubes of butter (room temperature butter not straight from the fridge).

Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until you have a mixture that resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Make sure there are no lumps of butter remaining.

Using a knife or small spoon, stir in just enough of the cold water to bind the dough together.

Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill for 10-15 minutes before using. This is an important part, so don’t skip it!

Method by a food processor

You can make shortcrust pastry in a food processor. The process is basically the same. You first place sifted flour, butter and salt in the food processor and then put the processor on pulse until the butter is rubbed into the flour.

With the processor still running, add the water gradually until the dough comes together. Only add enough water to bind it and then stop.

Wrap the dough in clingfilm as before and chill for 10-15 minutes before using. This is an important part, so don’t skip it!

 

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

150g plain flour
75g unsalted butter, cubed
50g icing sugar
1 egg yolk

The process of making sweet shortcrust is the same as the basic shortcrust except water is replace with egg and add icing sugar. This give the pastry a stronger structure and this type of pastry is used for pies that contain a sweet filling.

 

Shortcrust pastry with lard / butter

150g plain flour
40g unsalted butter, cubed, room temperature
40g lard, cubed, room temperature
30-45ml/2-3 tbsp cold water

The method is the same as basic shortcrust except part of the fat part is made up with lard. The type of pastry is generally used with meat-based pies such as steak and kidney.

 

Suet crust pastry

Used with traditional steak and kidney steamed puddings or sweet puddings

What is Suet?
Shredded suetis made from the hard fat around the kidneys of beef and sheep. It is primarily used in the production of pastry and dumplings. There is also a vegetarian version available.

350g self-rising flour
175g shredded beef suet
Pinch of salt 1 tsp
Milled black pepper 1 tsp (leave off if using for a sweet pudding)
Dried Thyme 1 tsp (leave off if using for a sweet pudding)
100-120ml water cold water enough to bind the mixture.

Three quarters of this pastry will line a 2 pint / 1.2 litre pudding container. The remaining quarter is used to create the lid.

Place all ingredients into a large bowl mix together to form a dough. Chill the dough for 20 min before rolling out and using.

 

Rough Puff Pastry

250g Strong plain flour
1 tsp Salt
250g butter, cubed (room temperature)
150ml cold water

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl add the butter cudes then rub them in loosely. You need to see bits of butter in the recipe.

Make a well in the bowl and pour in about two-thirds of the cold water, mixing until you have a firm rough dough adding extra water if needed. Cover the mixed dough in cling film and leave to rest for 20 mins in the fridge.

Remove from fridge and roll out on a floured board to approximately 20 x 50cm. Keep edges straight and even. Do not overwork the dough, you should still see the batter as a marbled effect.

Fold the top third down to the centre, then the bottom third up and over that. Give the dough a quarter turn (to the left or right) and roll out again to three times the length. Fold as before, cover with cling film and chill for at least 20 mins before rolling to use.

 

Puff Pastry

250g Strong plain flour
225g cold butter
1 tsp salt
150ml cold water

Add the flour, salt and water into a large bowl and mix together until a dough if formed. Cover the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for 20 mins.

While the flour is chilling place the cold butter between two pieces of parchment or cling film. Start by tapping the sandwiched butter with the rolling pin to help flatten the butter and then roll out to a post card size.

Remove the dough from the fridge and roll this out on a lightly floured your surface into a 25cm square.

Put the butter in the centre of the pastry and fold over the right and left sides of the dough, overlapping in the middle. Press the dough with your rolling pin to make it longer and then lightly mark into thirds. Fold the bottom third up to cover the middle third and the top third down. Seal the dough gently by pressing down on the edges with your rolling pin. Give the dough a quarter turn.

Roll the dough out to a long rectangle (roughly 18 x 38cm), keeping the edges square and the sides straight. Mark the dough into thirds again, fold the bottom third up and the top third down. Seal the edges and give the dough a quarter turn. Repeat one more time, cover and again place in a fridge to chill for further 20 mins.

Remove from the fridge and again roll the dough out to a long rectangle (roughly 18 x 38cm), keeping the edges square and the sides straight. Mark the dough into thirds again, fold the bottom third up and the top third down. Seal the edges and give the dough a quarter turn. Repeat again one more time, cover and again place in a fridge to chill for 1 hour prior to use.

 

Shop made pasty.

Making pastry, especially puff, can be time consuming so using a shop purchased pastry is perfectible acceptable. Many professional chefs opt for pre-made to save time and for some pies and sausage rolls I do the same.

If, however, you buy readymade make sure you buy a quality pastry and the correct type for what you intend to make

These are just examples, other brands are available but look at the label Sweet Shortcrust will contain sugar and used for desert type bakes, normal Shortcrust is ideal for Savoury type bakes and puff again for savoury type bakes. Other types of pastry are also available.