Quick and Easy Flaky Pastry

butter

🥗Healthier: margarine

💰Cheaper: shortening

Margarine reduces saturated fat, while shortening is often cheaper.

all-purpose flour

🥗Healthier: whole wheat flour

💰Cheaper: cake flour

Whole wheat flour adds fiber; cake flour is less expensive.

sift flour and salt into a large bowl

take butter from freezer and peel back most of the foil, leaving enough to hold the butter with

dip butter in the flour / makes it easier to grate

holding the grater over the flour, rub the butter using long strokes to give you long curls of butter. Use the largest holes on the grater

using a dinner knife gently mix the butter into the flour, coating all of the butter pieces individually with flour (don't use your hands yet)

sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cold water over the pastry and using the knife mix well until evenly distributed - repeat twice more using the remaining water

start to bring the pastry together now using your hands to gently squeeze the pastry into a ball

watchpoint: if you need a little more water just dab some on your fingers - the pastry should come together leaving the bowl fairly clean with no loose bits of butter or flour

shape pastry into a flat disk

wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes before using (pastry can be frozen at this point)

pastry should have pieces of butter visible - it will appear motley (this is good)

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens