Soft Pastry is a versatile dough that can be used for a variety of baked goods, from sweet pies to savory pastries. This recipe creates a soft, tender pastry dough that is easy to work with and produces delicious results. Here’s a simple recipe for making soft pastry dough:
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar (optional, for a slight sweetness)
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 1/4 cup cold water (you may need a little more, depending on the dough’s texture)
- 1 egg (optional, for a richer dough)
- 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice (optional, helps to make the dough tender)
Instructions:
1. Prepare the Dry Ingredients:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, salt, and sugar (if using). Stir them together to evenly distribute the dry ingredients.
2. Cut in the Butter:
- Add the cold, cubed butter into the flour mixture.
- Use a pastry cutter, fork, or your hands to cut the butter into the flour. You want to work quickly, so the butter stays cold. The mixture should resemble coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter throughout.
3. Add the Wet Ingredients:
- In a small bowl, beat the egg (if using) and mix it with the cold water and vinegar or lemon juice (if using).
- Slowly drizzle the egg mixture into the flour-butter mixture while gently stirring with a fork.
- Continue adding water a little at a time, stirring until the dough begins to come together. You may not need all the water, so add it slowly until the dough just holds together when pressed. Be careful not to overwork the dough.
4. Chill the Dough:
- Once the dough has come together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead it a couple of times to bring it into a ball.
- Flatten the dough into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Chilling helps the dough firm up and makes it easier to roll out.
5. Roll Out the Dough:
- After chilling, remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured surface.
- Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a thin layer. You can roll it out for pies, tarts, or any other pastry recipe you are making. If it sticks, sprinkle it lightly with more flour.
- If you’re making a pie or tart, transfer the dough to your pie or tart pan by rolling it up on the rolling pin and unrolling it over the pan.
6. Bake (or proceed with your recipe):
- If your pastry requires baking, follow the instructions in your recipe for pre-baking or baking it filled.
- If you’re using this dough for something savory or sweet, it can be filled with your desired ingredients before baking.
Tips:
- Keep everything cold: This helps create a flakier, softer texture. If the dough gets too warm while handling, it can be hard to work with. If necessary, chill the dough for another 10 minutes before rolling it out.
- For a flakier pastry, make sure not to overwork the dough, and leave some small chunks of butter intact.
- If you don’t have an egg, you can make a simple dough with just flour, butter, and cold water, though the egg does make the dough richer and a bit more pliable.
Enjoy Your Soft Pastry!
This pastry dough is perfect for making everything from pies to tarts, hand pies, or savory pastry pockets. It’s easy to prepare, and the result is a soft, tender dough that will elevate any filling you use.
Would you like a recipe idea to use this soft pastry dough in, such as a pie or savory pastry? Let me know!