I made a pie the other night and realised that I need more practice at pastry making, I'm out of the habit (it tasted fine, just the mechanics of it were less than ideal). So as this last summer was the season of icecream, I've decided this winter is the winter of pies and soup.
Yeah, I have hot hands. I even watched Alton's episode "The Crust Never Sleeps" to get some tips, but I figure coercing Sarah into showing me how she does it might work well too. :-) I know she makes apple pies.... :-) I'm ok with guestimate scones type of things, but pastry you need to be delicate... and I don't think I'm a terribly delicate cook... :-)
I offer the following tips which you probably already know. I now make adequate pastry at best. 1. Food processor to make it. Don't do ANYTHING with it, just squish into ball and then.. 2. Stick it in the freezer for half an hour. 3. DON'T touch it, roll ball out straight away with rolling pin and then get it into the oven ASAP.
Cold hands help though. And a surface to roll on that doesn't move when you try to roll something on it.
Do people tend to roll on just their benchtops or do they tend to use something on top of the bench. Has anyone got one of the tupperware bases? How does it work for them?
Get a dishcloth (not too thick) and make it a little damp and stick it under your surface. That will stop it moving.
I have one of the tupperware mats. I don't often use it, at least in part because I don't have any where large enough to put it out. When I have used it, it's quite good, it makes it easy to see how much more rolling you need to do, and you can also lift it up, turn it over and then peel the pastry off it onto your cooking item:-)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
chiming
no subject
Date: 2006-05-18 06:47 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2006-05-18 06:59 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2006-05-18 06:52 am (UTC)From:I made a pie the other night and realised that I need more practice at pastry making, I'm out of the habit (it tasted fine, just the mechanics of it were less than ideal). So as this last summer was the season of icecream, I've decided this winter is the winter of pies and soup.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-18 06:59 am (UTC)From::-)
I'm ok with guestimate scones type of things, but pastry you need to be delicate... and I don't think I'm a terribly delicate cook...
:-)
no subject
Date: 2006-05-18 10:47 am (UTC)From:Sarah makes them? With wheat flour? Or other exotic ones?
no subject
Date: 2006-05-18 10:49 am (UTC)From::-)
no subject
Date: 2006-05-18 10:52 am (UTC)From:Excellent!
I was thinking that maybe we could make pastry as a tribe thing one day:-) Pies galore!
no subject
Date: 2006-05-18 11:35 am (UTC)From::-)
I suck at pastry, too
Date: 2006-05-18 07:17 am (UTC)From:1. Food processor to make it. Don't do ANYTHING with it, just squish into ball and then..
2. Stick it in the freezer for half an hour.
3. DON'T touch it, roll ball out straight away with rolling pin and then get it into the oven ASAP.
Re: I suck at pastry, too
Date: 2006-05-18 08:13 am (UTC)From:*wilts*
I failed at freezer too, I used the fridge
and, eventually, I kind of kneaded it a little bit and it started to work so I have now made a pie. Which is in the fridge. For later.
Should I just start preheating the oven now?
no subject
Date: 2006-05-18 07:24 am (UTC)From:it's all in the mix. get that right, and the rolling's easy
no subject
Date: 2006-05-18 07:43 am (UTC)From:Do people tend to roll on just their benchtops or do they tend to use something on top of the bench. Has anyone got one of the tupperware bases? How does it work for them?
no subject
Date: 2006-05-18 08:40 am (UTC)From:I do also have a massive chopping board but it is rough, so I don't use it for pastry.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-18 10:50 am (UTC)From:I have one of the tupperware mats. I don't often use it, at least in part because I don't have any where large enough to put it out. When I have used it, it's quite good, it makes it easy to see how much more rolling you need to do, and you can also lift it up, turn it over and then peel the pastry off it onto your cooking item:-)
no subject
Date: 2006-05-18 08:05 am (UTC)From:I have very warm hands, and have given up on pastry completely.
Scones, on the other hand, I can do.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-18 08:40 am (UTC)From:Today, I have none of the above.
:-(