5. Salt : A pinch of salt may be put in all plain pastries except
those made with salt butter.
6. Sugar : 1 teaspoonful of fine white sugar may be put to each
lb. flour in short crust for sweet dishes.
Have all materials and utensils for pastry making
as cold as possible, and work in a cool place.
Handle lightly, and not more than is necessary.
Roll firmly, but not heavily.
Bake in a hot oven. Rich pastry requires greater
heat than plainer kinds. Pastry containing sugar
easily burns.
Pastry set to cool should be placed on a sieve or in
such a way that it can cool quickly and the steam escape,
but do not allow hot pastry to be put in a cold place, or
in any draught of air.
Short Crust.
Put flour, salt, baking powder (and sugar if used)
into a bowl and mix well. Break up the shorten-
ing, then rub it with the tips of the fingers till the
mixture looks like fine bread crumbs. Moisten with
IO
PRACTICAL COOKERY.
water very gradually✪ Short Crust Pastry, using a knife for mixing, and
adding only just enough water to make a stiff paste.
Flour the paste board and rolling pin, and roll out once
only. If baking powder is used bake immediately.
Flaky Crust.
Mix the flour and salt in a bowl, rub in one-third
of the shortening, using only the tips of the fingers.
Then take a knife and mix in very gradually enough cold
water to make a paste — stiff, but just a degree softer than
that for short crust. The paste should be about the same
consistency as the shortening to be used. Put on a
floured board. Roll out into an oblong shape about j
inch thick, being careful to have the corners as square as
possible. Spread the remainder of the shortening on one
half, not too near the edges, fold the paste over, pressing
the edges together. Turn the paste round so as to have
the folded edge to one side, press lightly with the rolling
pin, and roll out carefully in a straight oblong, again
making the corners quite square. Fold in three, turn the
rough edges towards you, and roll out again. Repeat till
the paste has been folded and rolled five or six times.
If time allows, flaky crust may with advantage be left
for a time to cool between the rollings.
Puff Pastry.
J lb. best Vienna flour. About 4 tablespoonfuls water.
J lb. fresh or washed butter. A few drops of lemon juice.
Half a yolk✪ Puff Pastry.
Method: Sift the flour, press the butter in a floured
cloth to remove any moisture. Stir together the yolk,
water and lemon juice, make a hole in the centre of the
flour and add the liquid, mixing with a knife to an elastic
PUFF PASTRY.
ii
paste, which should be of the same consistency as the
butter ; if required, add a few drops more water. Work the
paste lightly with the hand till smooth and pliable, flour the
board and rolling pin and roll out into an oblong sheet
about inch thick. If rice flour is used for dredging, it
will be less likely to work into the paste than ordinary
flour. Press the butter into an oblong cake not quite so
long as the width of the paste, lay it across the middle and
fold the two ends over till the edges are even. Turn the
paste round, putting the folded edges to the sides and the
loose edges to the top and bottom, press lightly with a
rolling pin, then roll out to a long strip, keeping the edges
even. Fold in three, turn and roll again.
Page 4 · 2 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1900. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
5. Salt : A pinch of salt may be put in all plain pastries except those made with salt butter.
6. Sugar : 1 teaspoonful of fine white sugar may be put to each lb. flour in short crust for sweet dishes.
Have all materials and utensils for pastry making as cold as possible, and work in a cool place.
Handle lightly, and not more than is necessary.
Roll firmly, but not heavily.
Bake in a hot oven. Rich pastry requires greater heat than plainer kinds. Pastry containing sugar easily burns.
Pastry set to cool should be placed on a sieve or in such a way that it can cool quickly and the steam escape, but do not allow hot pastry to be put in a cold place, or in any draught of air.
Short Crust.
Put flour, salt, baking powder (and sugar if used) into a bowl and mix well. Break up the shortening, then rub it with the tips of the fingers till the mixture looks like fine bread crumbs. Moisten with
IO
water very gradually, using a knife for mixing, and adding only just enough water to make a stiff paste. Flour the paste board and rolling pin, and roll out once only. If baking powder is used bake immediately.
Flaky Crust.
Mix the flour and salt in a bowl, rub in one-third of the shortening, using only the tips of the fingers. Then take a knife and mix in very gradually enough cold water to make a paste — stiff, but just a degree softer than that for short crust. The paste should be about the same consistency as the shortening to be used. Put on a floured board. Roll out into an oblong shape about j inch thick, being careful to have the corners as square as possible. Spread the remainder of the shortening on one half, not too near the edges, fold the paste over, pressing the edges together. Turn the paste round so as to have the folded edge to one side, press lightly with the rolling pin, and roll out carefully in a straight oblong, again making the corners quite square. Fold in three, turn the rough edges towards you, and roll out again. Repeat till the paste has been folded and rolled five or six times. If time allows, flaky crust may with advantage be left for a time to cool between the rollings.
Puff Pastry.
J lb. best Vienna flour. About 4 tablespoonfuls water.
J lb. fresh or washed butter. A few drops of lemon juice.
Half a yolk.
Method: Sift the flour, press the butter in a floured cloth to remove any moisture. Stir together the yolk, water and lemon juice, make a hole in the centre of the flour and add the liquid, mixing with a knife to an elastic
PUFF PASTRY.
paste, which should be of the same consistency as the butter ; if required, add a few drops more water. Work the paste lightly with the hand till smooth and pliable, flour the board and rolling pin and roll out into an oblong sheet about inch thick. If rice flour is used for dredging, it will be less likely to work into the paste than ordinary flour. Press the butter into an oblong cake not quite so long as the width of the paste, lay it across the middle and fold the two ends over till the edges are even. Turn the paste round, putting the folded edges to the sides and the loose edges to the top and bottom, press lightly with a rolling pin, then roll out to a long strip, keeping the edges even. Fold in three, turn and roll again.
Records on this page
Short Crust PastryPuff Pastry