Basic Suet Crust Pastry Recipes

THE BEST PASTRY CRUST

Steps:

• Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in butter using a pastry blender until the mixture resembles fine cornmeal. Pour in water slowly; knead dough into a firm ball.
• Pour in additional water as needed if dough is too dry or additional flour if too moist. Divide batter into equal halves. Roll out dough halves into rounds on a lightly floured work surface using a lightly floured rolling pin to desired thickness.
• Press one round into the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan. Use the other round as a top crust or for a separate bottom crust. Bake according to desired filling instructions.

BASIC SHORT-CRUST PASTRY

Steps:

• Put flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor. Add butter and quickly cut it into flour until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Add ice water and mix briefly, about 30 seconds, to form a soft dough. Remove dough, shape into a thick disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Bring to cool room temperature before rolling.
• To roll, lightly flour dough and counter. Roll out gradually, periodically letting dough rest for a moment before continuing. This makes rolling easier and will keep dough from shrinking back during baking.
• Roll dough to a thin round approximately 13 inches in diameter, then trim to make a 12-inch circle (refrigerate and save trimmings for patching). Lay dough loosely into a 9 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom, letting it relax a bit. Fold overlap back inside to make a double thickness, then press firmly against the pan so the finished edge is slightly higher than the pan. Refrigerate or freeze for an hour before pre-baking.

BASIC PASTRY DOUGH

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse flour and salt to combine. Add cold butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Sprinkle with ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 3 tablespoons more water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Do not overmix. Form dough into a 1-inch-thick disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days).

BASIC SHORTCRUST PASTRY

Steps:

• Sift 225g plain flour into a large bowl, add 100g diced butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Stir in a pinch of salt, then add 2-3 tbsp water and mix to a firm dough.
• Knead the dough briefly and gently on a floured surface.
• Wrap in cling film and chill while preparing the filling.

BASIC SUET CRUST PASTRY

Steps:

• sift the flour into abowl, then sprinkle the suet in, season if desired and just mix it in lightly with your hands to distribute it evenly.
• Now sprinkle in some cold water (you'll find you need more for this pastry than for shortcrust).
• Begin mixing with around bladed knife, and then use your hands at the end to bring it all together to a smooth elastic dough that leaves the bowl clean.
• suet crust should be left for 5 minutes, then rolled out immediately. You should always roll it out more quickly than shorcrust, approximately 1/2 inch thick.

SHORTCRUST PASTRY

Steps:

• Place the flour, salt, and butter in a food processor and whiz or pulse briefly. Add half the beaten egg and continue to whiz. You might add a little more egg, but not too much as the mixture should be just moist enough to come together.
• If making by hand, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. Then, using your hands, add just enough egg to bring the dough together. With your hands, flatten out the ball of dough, until it is about 3/4-inch thick, and then wrap in plastic wrap, or place in a plastic bag, and leave in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or, if you are pushed for time, in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Variations:
• Sweet shortcrust pastry: In place of the pinch of salt, use 1 tablespoon of icing sugar.
• Sour cream shortcrust pastry: Replace the egg with 2 tablespoons of sour cream or creme fraiche, adding just enough to bring the dough together.

SUET PASTRY DOUGH

Steps:

• Pulse together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor. Add suet and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Drizzle evenly with milk and stir with a fork until incorporated. Knead until a slightly sticky dough is formed.

BASIC SHORT-CRUST PASTRY

Steps:

• Sift together the flour and the salt. Slice the cold butter rapidly and drop the slices into the flour. With a pastry blender or two sharp knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse corn meal.
• Sprinkle the ice water of the flour-butter mixture and stir it very quickly with a fork, until the dough gathers together. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in wax paper or foil, and chill for about 2 hours.
• A note here that Canadian wheat is 'harder' than wheat from the USA, and you may need to add a little more water to make it gather.
• Makes enough dough for 1 large, 11 or 12 inch quiche shell.
• PREPARING A QUICHE OR TART SHELL.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough out into a circle about 2 1/2 inches larger than your quiche pan. Roll the circle of dough loosely around your rolling pin and unroll it over the quiche pan, centering it as well as possible. Press the sides against the rim of the pan, pushing the extra dough down a bit to make and edge that is slightly thicker than the bottom. Trim the dough off with a sharp knife about 1/4 inch above the rim of the pan (it shrinks down a bit while baking).
• Using a pastry crimper of the blunt end of a kitchen knife, crimp the ridge of the dough neatly just above the rim of the pan. Prick the bottom of the shell all over with a fork (VERY IMPORTANT!) and chill it for 1/2 hour.
• PREBAKING A QUICHE OR TART SHELL.
• Line the inside of the pastry shell with a piece of aluminum foil. and fill it with dried beans or rice (which can be kept in a jar and reused for this purpose forever). Bake the shell in a preheated 450 degree oven for about 8 minutes, then remove the beans and foil, prick again with a fork (VERY IMPORTANT!), and return to the hot oven for another 4 to 5 minutes, or until the bottom of the shell begins to colour. Allow the shell to cool slightly on a rack, then fill and finish baking according to recipe.

BASIC SWEET PASTRY

Steps:

• Crumb together by hand the butter in to the flour
• Add the sugar
• Mix in the egg and enough milk to form a soft dough - add flavour (opt)

SHORTCRUST PASTRY

Steps:

• Sift flour into a bowl and rub in butter. Add egg yolk and enough water to make ingredients cling together.
• Press dough into a ball and knead gently on a floured surface until smooth. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Use pastry for tarts, pastries, quiches, or other savory goodies.