[Sca-cooks] Flour Recommendation?

[Terry Decker]

To quote Ivan Day, "Pies of this kind were constructed from a 'standing 
crust' made by mixing boiling water and butter into the flour.  Once cold, 
this stiff gluten-rich pastry was ideal for raising these complex 
structures, though it did not make for particularly good eating."  (Eat, 
Drink & Be Merry)

>From the above quote, all purpose or high gluten bread flour would be the 
choice, since the plan is to make a high gluten, not so flakey crust.  A 
soft  modern pastry crust (IIRC) is roughly 3 parts flour, 2 parts fat, and 
1 part water by weight, so 2:1 or 3:1 might be a good ratio of flour to 
butter.  To form the requisite gluten, you'll probably want to work this 
like a bread dough rather than a pastry dough.

Bonne Chance,

Bear


> Greetings!  It was pointed out that perhaps the somewhat floppy dough that
> resulted (in my attempt at a hand-raised tart case) could have been the
> type of flour.  I used what was in the cannister - all purpose flour.  I
> want to try the dough again.  It will be twice as much flour by weight as
> butter.  Water is the only liquid.  What type of flour might be better for
> a sturdier dough?  Bread flour?  Pastry flour?  Something else?
>
> Alys Katharine, going from sugar to flour