Foods, their selection and preparation

The liquid (cold water) is added so as to be distributed evenly among the fat-flour par¬ ticles, just enough being used to dampen the surface so that the particles of fat-flour will form a dough, but not enough to make them sticky. Too much water makes a tough pastry; too little a crumbly one. Also, when there is not enough liquid to form steam, pas¬ try is not light. Steam and the enclosed air are the only leavening in pastry. The exact amount of water varies with the kind of flour and the amount of fat. An average amount is about 3 tablespoons per cup flour. Sprinkle the cold water over the flour-fat mixture by teaspoonfuls. Bring each damp¬ ened part into contact with as much of the dry material as possible by running a fork along the bottom of the bowl and, with a tossing motion, working the dampened part quickly into a dough. Add more water sparingly until the mixture becomes a stiff dough which works into a ball. The ball of dough is then placed on a lightly floured board or pastry cloth. Enough pastry for one crust is rolled at one time. [275] (One cup flour makes enough for one nine- inch crust.) Pat the ball until it is flat on top. With the rolling pin lightly floured, place it on the center of the dough. Roll with quick, successive, short strokes from the center of the pastry toward the edge in every direction, keeping the shape round. If the dough begins to stick, as can be seen by its failing to spread, loosen it with a spatula. Then raise the dough gently with one hand and flour the board lightly with the other. Pastry should not be turned over during rolling. Pie crust should be rolled to almost one-eighth inch thick and nine or ten inches in diameter. It is then ready to be trans¬ ferred to the pie pan. Various kinds of pie pans are available. The thin ones made of tin or aluminum gen¬ erally are used, although many homemakers prefer glass. All these allow the under crust to be thoroughly baked. A soggy, half-baked under crust makes an unpalatable pie. The pan should be deep enough to allow for plenty of filling without danger of its running over. Standard pie pans are eight or nine inches in diameter. To facilitate the transfer of the pie dough to the pie pan, the dough may be rolled onto the rolling pin and then rolled off onto the pan. Another method is to fold half the dough lightly over the other half, making a semicircle of dough, and folding again, mak¬ ing a quarter-circle. This is placed directly on the pie pan and unfolded, fitted loosely into the pan, and pressed down into the angle between the side and the bottom. Pie dough should never be stretched or broken but handled gently, the air between the dough and the pan being worked out by patting with a small ball of dough. As to how the pastry is treated from this point depends upon the kind of pie. The shell to be baked without filling will be dis¬ cussed here. For other ways of handling pastry see pages 331 to 333.