Make your own perfect pastry

Top tips from Chahna :

1. The best pastry chefs have cold hands . ( yes I rolled my eyes too - maybe just hold a bag of frozen peas for five minutes before you start )

2. Pastry must not be overhandled but you also need to be bold and assertive - pastry can sense anxiety - ( I never knew that , no wonder it got the better of me in the past , but no longer pastry - I'm in charge now )

So now that we are all fearless and have cold hands , lets tackle

Sweet Crust pastry

This is the most useful and versatile of all the pastries and the one that we will learn together in the Foundation Section . Though , once you have mastered this pastry , the various other kinds will be relatively easy to learn .

Chahna has attached a tutorial video which will help , but my advice is to be patient with yourself and accept that this is a new skill that we are both learning - so it may not be perfect first time .

It is so worth perservering though . Nothing beats home made pastry and imagine how professional you will feel once you have a handle on it .

Good luck

Basic Sweet crust pastry recipe.

1. 250g Plain four

2. 120g Unsalted butter - take this out of the fridge a couple of hours before starting , so that it is softer and easier to use .

3. 75g Icing sugar

4. 3 Egg yolks ( see blog post on egg separation )

5. 20g Water

These quantites will vary with each size of pastry case that a recipe asks for , but in general , the amount of fat is always half that of the flour .

Method:

1. Sift the flour and icing sugar into a large mixing bowl . That sounds easy , but we also have to hold the sieve as high as possible above the bowl to allow the maximum amount of air into the flour . So I hope that your aim is good .

2. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the flour .

3. Now start to mix the fat into the flour .

With this step , there are a couple of important points to apply . (Honestly , doesnt it feel like learning to drive , lets hope one day it will all just come naturally . )

Here we go :

Always be gentle with pastry and handle a little as possible , even if you've been holding frozen peas . Just use your finger tips to rub in the fat and hold your hands high to allow maximum air into the mixture .

Perhaps think of it as an air loving , heat hating , sensitive little blob , that will reward your loving care by eventually transforming into a masterpiece of pastry perfection .

4. When the mixture is crumbly (and there are no butter lumps), add the egg yolks one at a time.

   Use a mixing spoon to mix well and bring the mixture together .

   Add small amounts of the water as needed to get the right consistency , too much and it will be a heavy pastry and too little and it will be cracked and hard to bring together . ( I told you it was like learning to drive )

   You will know when it is ready , because it will come away from the mixing bowl cleanly with no cracks in the pastry ball. (This stage of the mixing process is best done with your hands)

   
   

5. Wrap the pastry ball in cling film to stop a crust forming and put in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes .

   Heck , I know its delicate and sensitive , but after all of the care we have shown it , shouldn't it be us having the rest , not the pastry .

6. Roll out the pastry using a long rolling pin on a lightly floured , flat surface . Also dust the rolling pin with flour , never the pastry itself , we dont want to dry our delicate friend out even more.

   It is not necessary to turn the pastry over while rolling , and always revolve the pastry rather that the rolling pin to achieve the tin shape you want .

7. To transfer the rolled out pastry to the tin , place the rolling pin at one end of the pastry and lightly roll the pastry around the pin . Then lift it and hold it over the tin as you unroll .

   Press into position firmly to make sure that there is no air trapped underneath . This will avoid ballooning up of air bubbles as it is cooked , that way you won't have to use all the paraphernalia of gadgets when you move to the next baking blind stage .

   Remember not to over stretch the pastry in the tin . It is better to overlap the edge of the tin rather than pull the pastry to fit . Stretching the pastry can cause shrinkage when cooking .

8. Baking Blind - this means baking the pastry case on its own for a short while before you add the filling .

   Many people use baking beans on top of the pastry to stop it ballooning up with air bubbles as it is cooked . But if you have pressed it down firmly enough when placing in the tin , this shouldnt be necessary , though using a fork to prick the pastry base all over is an added precaution . After you have half baked your tart case , and before you add the filling , it is a good idea to brush the pastry base with a beaten egg , then carry on cooking until the case is golden in colour. This helps keep the tart case crisp , even when you eventually add the filling . Also remember that if any air bubbles appear in the first 10 minutes , just prick with a fork and press back down .

9. Finally ( at last ) bake the pastry case at 175 degrees Fan for 20 to 25 minutes (this may vary slightly with each oven , so aim to cook until evenly golden in colour).

I must say , that if sweet crust pastry were a person , I'm not sure that they would be my first choice for a friend. I prefer a more down to earth , less sensitive type , but I am sure that we could learn to get along after a bit of perseverence . So if I can do it , then you can too . And just think , if we can all get on well with sweetcrust pastry , we can probably get on well with anyone .

Good luck xxx

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/6ddfbe_c107e69345b445c7951f17f3cf2578ca/480p/mp4/file.mp4