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Flaky Pastry
This is somewhere between a rich traditional pie dough and puff pastry, and the traditional pastry for Eccles cake or Ecclefechan tart. It's somewhat easier to make than puff pastry, but it does require the requisite "turns" that a true puff pastry is made with. Once this dough is made, however, it will keep, well wrapped, for several days in the refrigerator, and for several months in the freezer. You can use the dough for puff pastry shells, turnovers, cheese straws, or a quick, improvised pie crust.
Ingredients
- 4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup fresh lard (or shortening, if preferred)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 1/4 cups water
Instructions
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, blend the flour and salt together. Take one quarter (3 tablespoons) of each type of fat and rub it into the flour/salt mixture with your fingertips until it resembles cornmeal.
- Mix the lemon juice with the water, and stir into the flour/fat mixture until you have a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until it's smooth.
- With a well-floured rolling pin, roll the dough out until it's about 7" wide and 21" long. If the dough sticks at any point, slide a bench knife or spatula under it and throw a little flour underneath.
- Take 3 tablespoons more of each type of fat and dot them over the top two-thirds of the dough. Fold the bottom third up over the middle third and the top third down over that. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.
- After the dough has chilled, take it out of the fridge, unwrap it and roll it out for the second time, until it's about 7" by 21". Repeat with the next 3 tablespoons of each of the fats and fold as you did before. Chill the dough for 15 minutes.
- Repeat the process of adding the fats a third and final time. This time, before you chill the dough, roll and fold it for a fourth time, this time without adding any fat. Wrap and chill the finished dough for at least 45 minutes before using it.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 35g
- Servings Per Batch 32 servings
Amount Per Serving:
- Calories 132 cal
- Calories from Fat
- Total Fat 9g
- Saturated Fat
- Trans Fat
- Cholesterol 12mg
- Sodium 35mg
- Total Carbohydrate 11g
- Dietary Fiber
- Sugars
- Protein 2g
* The nutrition information provided for this recipe is determined by the ESHA Genesis R&D software program. Substituting any ingredients may change the posted nutrition information.
Tips from our bakers
- It's easier if you make the dough the day before you plan on using it. You can also freeze this dough for up to 3 months, thaw it overnight in the fridge, and then prepare your pastry with it.
- While you can use this dough for samosas, turnovers and pastries, but you may want to try the traditional Eccles Cakes from the border country between Scotland and England.
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Reviews
very easy to make it's so much fun making and our meat pies were really tasty with the pastry
I'm actually having the same problem the other person noted above. The way the recipe is written, it seems to suggest adding fat 3 different times, rather than 4 different times. It's New Years day, so I'm suspecting the hotline isn't open, or I'd call. I realize whoever wrote the recipe thinks it's clear, but I'm having the same problem. Let me walk you through the problem. 1. First addition of fat: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, blend the flour and salt together. Take one quarter (3 tablespoons) of each type of fat and rub it into the flour/salt mixture with your fingertips until it resembles cornmeal. Mix the lemon juice with the water, and stir into the flour/fat mixture until you have a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until it's smooth. 2. Second addition of fat: With a well-floured rolling pin, roll the dough out until it's about 7 inches wide and 21 inches long. If the dough sticks at any point, slide a bench knife or spatula under it and throw a little flour underneath. Take 3 tablespoons more of each type of fat and dot them over the top two-thirds of the dough. Fold the bottom third up over the middle third and the top third down over that. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. 3. Third addition of fat: After the dough has chilled a bit, take it out of the fridge, unwrap it and roll it out again until it's about 7 inches by 21 inches. Repeat with the next 3 tablespoons of each of the fats and fold as you did before. 4. No addition of fat the fourth time: Chill and repeat the same process one final time. This time roll the dough out again before chilling it and fold once more, this time without adding any additional fat. Wrap and chill the dough for at least 45 minutes before using it. It's easier if you make it the day before. Yield: 2 pounds pastry dough. Where is the 4th addition of fat? Thanks.
John, the fourth addition of fat comes with the line, "Chill and repeat the same process one final time." At that point you roll the dough out, add the last of the fat, and fold as you did before. After this fold you roll the dough out again without refrigerating it first, and fold without adding more fat. Barb@KAF
Taste was great flaky crisp and yummy. Only thing I wish the pastry could have remain flaky and crisp after 4 hours. Live in Trinidad & Tobago which is in the Caribbean.
Sadly, humidity is not a friend to flaky pastry. Barb@KAF
Very nice and flaky. Easy to prepare.
How do you bake it.. like at what temperature and how long?
Usually the temperature needs to be pretty high at around 400 degrees. The amount of time will be dependent on the recipe. You may use this recipe for making empanadas, meat hand pies, fruit fulled turnovers, etc. If you have any further questions, please contact our Baker's Hotline, 1-855-371-BAKE. Elisbeth@KAF
I've read through this recipe 4 times. Each time, I only see 3/4's of the total amount of fat being used. Can someone please help with my reading comprehension?? I REALLY want to make this, just don't want to goof it up.
I have read through the recipe and see that 12 T of each fat is used in the procedure as it should be. Please give our toll free Baker's Hotline a call so we can go over this with you. It can be confusing! 1-855-371-BAKE Elisabeth@KAF
I used this for apple and blackberry turnovers. Turned out very well and instructions were easy to follow. I didn't feel like going to the store just for lemon juice so I used vinegar, still worked fine.
Would this work for a pie crust or best for ?apple turn overs?
This pastry is best for turnover, samosas, etc.
