Flaky Pastry

Going by the hits on YouTube, this is my most sought after recipe that I have made a video for. It was one of the first video recipes I made and certainly not the best of quality, but it has proved popular with almost 30,000 hits. As I have often said I have not had a life long passion for cooking but this is something I was making from an early age as it is my mothers recipe. I just love this pastry, its perfect for both sweet and savory dishes.

The video is down at the bottom of this post, check out the quick hand action half way through... no special effects, honest ;)

If you would like to see new videos, leave me a comment down at the bottom.

Gorgeous homemade flaky pastry

This recipe has a very strict set of instructions but if you follow them carefully you will never buy again!! Yes, it’s that good!

*The secret of this recipe is to only do the bare minimum.*

 Makes about 500g of pastry:

240g plain flour

180g margarine

30g lard

Pinch of salt

Cold water to mix

Method

The margarine and lard should be at room temperature.

Put flour in mixing bowl, add pinch of salt. Cut off 120g of margarine and cut off into small pieces into bowl. Now get in with clean hands and lightly mix the margarine through the flour.

Add the water by degrees while mixing with a knife until it just about forms dough. Empty the mixing bowl out onto a dusted work surface, form the shape of a square and roll out into a rectangle; one roll should suffice.  

Cut off small pieces of the remaining margarine and the lard and butter in small clumps. Roll up the pastry, turn the pastry 90° and roll it out again repeating the process until the margarine and lard has been used.

*Note how the pastry is barely worked...

Fold up the last time and wrap in Clingfilm or foil and put in fridge for at least an hour before using.

The pastry can be frozen at this point.