Pastry recipe

I promised yesterday that I would supply a pastry recipe that is both easy to handle and tastes good.

This makes about 4 big pasties. I would make double and freeze the rest in 200g  – 225g balls sealed in plastic or a plastic bag. Then you know you have a top or bottom for a pie or a pasty ball that you can defrost when it’s needed.

400g plain flour

200g of fat – half a soft white fat like Trex and half a soft yellow margarine such as stork cake.

a good pinch of salt

The best way to make the pastry is in a food processor or a mixer but you can do it by hand.

Put the flour and salt in a big bowl or the bowl of your food processor/mixer.

Add the fat in big chunks.

Mix it until it looks like big breadcrumbs. If you are doing it by hand then you will need to rub the fat into the flour between your thumbs and fingers until you get the same effect.

Add one tablespoon of cold water for every 100g of flour you have used so 6 for 600g of flour to you mix and combine.

You should have a nice ball of pastry which you need to wrap in plastic cling or a bag and seal.

Either freeze now weighed into balls or let it rest for a couple of hours before you use it.