[Sca-cooks] pie crust was what's wierd-ish, what isn't

[Bill Fisher]

On Fri, 12 Nov 2004 11:07:19 -0500, ranvaig at columbus.rr.com
<ranvaig at columbus.rr.com> wrote:
> >speaking of pastry and pie crust.... i am about to do 700 small
> >salmon pasties. has anyone made pie crust in a food processor?  how
> >do you do it, and does it work well?
> 
> I have use a food processor.  It might not be quite as flaky, but its
> more than acceptable.  Use the pulse cycle and make sure you don't
> cut the fat in too finely, leave pieces the size of peas, then pulse
> in the water.  Stop before it quite forms a ball.
> 
> Ranvaig

I freeze the fat first, cut it in with the machine till it looks ok, 
re-freeze it again, then work in the water by hand.  Then
rest it in the fridge till I need to use it, wrapped in plastic
wrap.  I find that the freezings keeps the fat (usually butter 
for me) from melting and prematurely causing the gluten
strands to swell, because the whirring blades of a food
processor generate quite a bit of heat.

I work the dough as little as possible, kind of like making
a biscuit.   But if I need it to be standing on its own, I 
abuse it a bit to create some gluten.

I've also made pie dough with oil as well, it is an interesting
texture.  

Cadoc
-- 

"The 'Net is a waste of time, and that's exactly what's right about it" -
                                    - William Gibson