Good to know:
Ice-cold butter is the secret to perfect pastry. The moisture in the fat evaporates during baking, creating lift and delicate layers.
Cutting in doesn’t mean to push in front of someone in a queue, but rather, to work a solid fat, such as shortening, butter or margarine, into dry ingredients. This is usually done with a pastry blender, two knives in a crisscross fashion, your fingertips, or a food processor.
Why use a pie bird?
It’s not just to make your pie look cute. Pie birds are hollow and allow steam to escape from the pie while it’s baking so that the filling doesn’t boil up and crack the crust. The fact that it’s in the shape of a bird may have something to do with the old English nursery rhyme “Sing a Song of Sixpence”.
Shortcrust pastry
Shortcrust pastry is usually used for the bases of quiches or tarts as it doesn’t puff up.
Get the shortcrust pastry recipe here.
Try it with this brûlée lemon tart or this haddock, asparagus and chive quiche.
Easy rough-puff pastry
Puff pastry’s layers expand as the butter melts when it cooks, making it light and airy.
Get the easy rough-puff pastry recipe here.
Try it with this lamb-shank pie.
Hot-water pastry
This is traditionally used for savoury pies as it can be shaped by hand.Pro tip: Use duck fat instead of butter for a more savoury pastry.
Get the hot-water pastry recipe here.
Try it with these hand pies.
Fake it till you make it
If you really can’t see your way clear to making your own pastry, use Woolies’ readymade versions instead. Try frozen phyllo pastry, frozen all butter puff pastry sheets or frozen ready rolled puff pastry.
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