[Sca-cooks] Welserin #61

[Barbara Benson]

Greetings,

I wanted to share a redaction adventure with y'all. I finally got around to
the following:

61 To make a pastry dough for all shaped pies
Take flour, the best that you can get, about two handfuls, depending on how
large or small you would have the pie. Put it on the table and with a knife
stir in two eggs and a little salt. Put water in a small pan and a piece of
fat the size of two good eggs, let it all dissolve together and boil.
Afterwards pour it on the flour on the table and make a strong dough and
work it well, however you feel is right. <snip>When the dough is kneaded,
then make of it a round ball and draw it out well on the sides with the
fingers or with a rolling pin, so that in the middle a raised area remains,
then let it chill in the cold.<snip>

There is a good bit of discussion on the subject in the Flori-thingie and I
referenced the notes there from Valoise Armstrong, Master A and Bear.

Here is what I came up with:

3 cups of flour
1 t Kosher Salt
2 Eggs beaten
Stir together in a bowl with a knife
1/3 C water
1/3 C + 1/4 C Lard
Boil together

Add lard/water to flour. Stir until together in bowl and then turn out knead
a bit on a board. Squash into a disk and wrap in saran wrap. Put in fridge
for awhile.

This made enough for a covered pie or 2 shells. I rolled it out on a floured
surface an put it into a pop-out bottom tart pan. I did this in the course
of redacting one of Welserin's pear tarts (not quite there enough to post
the redaction - gotta make it again). Cooked the pie for 45 minutes - needed
to cook it for an hour.

The crust came out really well. It was very tender and had a good bit of
flake, but quite sturdy enough to hold its own when I slid it off the pan
and onto a plate. Now I am not saying I could pick it up without a plate -
the center would most definitly fall out. But the sides stand up and it
looks nice.

Glad Tidings,
Serena da Riva