METHODS OF MIXING PASTRY
14. Several methods of mixing the ingredients used in pastry are followed, each one producing a different effect in the finished product. The method employed in the making of plain pastry, such as is commonly used for pies, consists in first mixing the shortening and the flour and then adding the liquid.
Another method is adopted for pastries that are intended to be somewhat flakier and of a little better quality than plain pastry. In this method, half of the fat is mixed with the flour and the water is then added to the mixture. With this done, the dough that is formed is rolled out, the remaining fat placed on it, and the pastry then folded and rolled repeatedly in such a way as to incorporate all the fat.
Still another method is followed when puff paste or fancy pastry dishes are desired. Only a very small quantity of fat is mixed with the flour or flour alone is prepared. Water is then added and the mixture is kneaded until it becomes smooth and elastic. When the kneading is done, the dough is rolled out in a certain shape, the fat is placed on it, and, after it is folded over the fat, it is put through a series of foldings and rollings until all the fat is incorporated.
The first and the third of these methods are explained and illustrated here in detail, so that the housewife ought not have any difficulty in producing splendid results. As the second method is practically a combination of the other two, familiarity with them will insure success with it.
Pastry ingredients may be mixed by methods that differ from the three just mentioned. One of these is illustrated in the method given later for the making of easy pastry. This seems to be a complete reversal of the rules observed in making pastry in the usual ways. The water is hot and the fat is melted in it. The flour is added to the liquid and the fat instead of the liquid being added to the flour and the fat. In spite of the fact that all this appears to be contrary, the results obtained by this method are satisfactory.