Introduction

Pastry can be the much-loved though problematic child of many a baker. On the one hand, it seems a miracle that some flour, some shortening and a blast of heat can form the base for such a varied and delicious range of food. On the other, these raw materials may be temperamental and difficult, driving you mad if your attempts aren’t successful. Do not despair, help is at hand. In the following pages we have fool-proof methods, along with step-by-step photography, to guide you through the adventure of home-made pastry. We also have scrumptious recipes for fillings, both savoury and sweet, which will have you embracing pastry-making. From Snapper pie to Strawberry, rhubarb and vanilla mille feuille, Mastering the Basics: Pies, Tarts & Pastries will provide you with the skills and inspiration to unleash your inner pastry chef.

Basics

Common ingredients

Baking powder is a leavener that is sometimes used in quick breads to help aerate them. It is a combination of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), cream of tartar (or other acidic powder) and usually cornflour (cornstarch) or rice flour (to absorb moisture). To make your own, combine ½ teaspoon cream of tartar, ½ teaspoon cornflour and ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda to replace 1 teaspoon of commercial baking powder. Almost all baking powders sold are ‘double acting’, which means they are partly activated by liquid and partly by heat.

Bicarbonate of soda, also called baking soda, is a component of baking powder and a leavener in its own right. It is activated with the aid of an acid, so used in mixtures with an acidic ingredient such as buttermilk or yoghurt. It is important to cook these mixtures as soon as possible, because bicarbonate of soda is activated as soon as it comes into contact with the acidic ingredient — if the mixture is left to sit, it won’t rise properly and the end product will have a coarser, more open texture.

Butter is the most commonly used fat when making pastries. It adds flavour, shortness/tenderness and colour. Some pastries contain butter that has been ‘rubbed in’ while others are ‘laminated’ with butter. Unsalted butter is sweeter than salted and gives you more control over the amount of salt in your pies and pastries — you can then add as much as you want. Some pastries, especially those that require ‘rubbing in’, need chilled butter while other pastries require slightly softened butter.

Buttermilk is made by adding souring agents to milk. It is used in conjunction with bicarbonate of soda, in goods such as soda bread and scones. Its acidity reacts with the alkaline properties of the soda to provide a particularly good lift. To make your own buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 300 ml (10½ fl oz) of regular milk.

Eggs enrich, give structure, bind, lighten, tenderise and add flavour to certain pastries and breads. Store them, pointed end down, in their original carton in the refrigerator. Always bring eggs to room temperature before using — if you’re short on time, you can put them in a bowl of lukewarm water for 10 minutes. All recipes in this book use 59/60 g (2¼ oz) eggs.

Flour provides the basic structure for all pastries. Wheat flour is the most commonly used flour. The gluten in wheat flour gives the strength, elasticity and structure necessary for baking. It forms a strand-like network that traps air and assists with rising. Self-raising flour is simply plain (all-purpose) flour with baking powder added. To make your own, add 2 teaspoons baking powder to every 150 g (5½ oz/1 cup) plain flour. Sift them together several times before using.

Natural vanilla extract and vanilla essence are concentrated flavours derived from vanilla bean pods. Buy pure essence or extract and avoid those labelled with ‘artificial’ or ‘imitation’ as they are simply flavourings based on alcohol. Thick vanilla bean paste is also available and is a convenient way of adding vanilla seeds to baking without having to scrape them from the pod. If using vanilla beans, wash and dry the pod thoroughly after use and place in a container of sugar to subtly flavour it.

Salt enhances the flavour of baked goods. In bread making it does even more, making the dough stronger and less sticky, regulating the activity of the yeast so it grows at a more consistent rate, and affecting the overall texture of the bread. Salt also attracts moisture, so it helps prevent loaves becoming stale, especially in dry weather.

Sugar is an important ingredient in pastry and bread making as it adds sweetness, flavour, moisture and tenderness. There are several types and the most widely used in baking is white — granulated, caster (superfine) or icing (confectioners’). Granulated is the most commonly available, but caster sugar, with its fine grains that dissolve quickly, is a better choice when baking. Icing sugar is powdered white sugar and is available as pure icing sugar or icing sugar mixture, which has a little cornflour (cornstarch) added to prevent lumps. Brown sugar, sometimes called light brown sugar, is fine, granulated sugar with molasses added to enrich the flavour. Dark brown sugar has even more molasses added. If you want to substitute brown sugar for white, or vice versa, measure out the same weight, rather than volume.

Yeast is a biological (naturally occurring) rising agent. Dried yeast is available in sachets or small containers from supermarkets in the baking section. Fresh (compressed) yeast is available from selected health food stores and delicatessens. Fresh yeast needs to be activated by mixing with a lukewarm liquid before adding it to other ingredients, while dried yeast can be added directly to the remaining ingredients. Although it is not strictly necessary, we advise activating dried yeast to ensure it is still alive. Instant dried yeast is completely interchangeable with active dried yeast, another form of dried yeast that does require activation.

Clockwise from left: butter, yeast, eggs, bicarbonate of soda, buttermilk, vanilla extract, vanilla beans, salt, baking powder, sugar, flour

Common equipment

Ovens

Not all ovens cook in the same way so it is important to get to know your oven and make your own adjustments to recipes if necessary. Even when an oven is accurately calibrated its temperature may be slightly out. Use a good-quality oven thermometer to monitor the temperature regularly and make sure the seals are in good order to prevent heat escaping.

Fan-forced or convection ovens, which use a fan to circulate the heat, cook at a higher temperature and more quickly than conventional ovens. The recipes in this book have been tested in conventional ovens — if cooking in a fan-forced oven, decrease the oven temperature by 20°C (68°F) and check regularly towards the end of cooking as the time may need to be reduced by 10–20 per cent.

When baking in a conventional oven, place breads and pastries in the centre of the oven and if you have multiple trays, swap them around halfway through cooking to ensure even cooking. If you have two loaves of bread in the oven at once, make sure there is plenty of room between them to allow the heat to circulate evenly.

Measuring

Careful, accurate measuring, whether by weight or volume, is essential for success when making breads and pastries. Always use one set of measurements when preparing a recipe — metric (grams and ml) or imperial (oz and fl oz) by weighing, or measuring by volume (cups).

Measuring cups are used to measure dry or non-liquid ingredients. They are generally available in plastic or metal and in sets of 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup), 80 ml (2½ fl oz/¹/₃ cup), 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) and 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) measures. Spoon the ingredient into the cup until heaped, then, without compressing it, run a flat-bladed knife across the top to level. All cup measures in this book are level, not heaped.

Measuring jugs are used to measure liquids. Look for a glass or see-through jug with clear markings and a good spout.

Measuring spoons are used to measure small amounts of both dry and liquid ingredients. They are available in sets that generally include a ¼ teaspoon, ½ teaspoon, 1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon. One teaspoon equals 5 ml in volume. Tablespoons, however, can come in either 15 ml (½ fl oz/ 3 teaspoon) or 20 ml (¾ fl oz/4 teaspoon) volumes. This book uses 20 ml tablespoons. Check your tablespoon volume and if you are using a 15 ml tablespoon, add an extra teaspoon for every tablespoon of the ingredient specified in the recipe. This is particularly important for ingredients such as baking powder and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda). All tablespoon and teaspoon measures in this book are level — use a flat-bladed knife to level ingredients, as for cup measures.

Scales, electronic versions in particular, are the most accurate way of measuring dry ingredients, such as flour or sugar, and non-liquid, soft ingredients, such as yoghurt or jam. Electronic scales are now affordable and are an invaluable addition to your kitchen. Most give metric and imperial weights, and let you switch between the two. They may also let you ‘zero’ the reading so you can measure several ingredients in the same bowl one after another, which is handy for one-bowl mixes.

Mixing

Bowls are fundamental to making breads and pastries and it is important to have a good selection of sizes. Stainless-steel bowls are versatile and durable and are good conductors of heat and cold. Ceramic and glass bowls are sturdy and are also suitable for heating and melting ingredients. Plastic bowls aren’t a good choice for mixing as they absorb flavours and become greasy over time.

Electric mixers can be hand-held or mounted on a stand.Hand-held beaters have detachable beaters and sometimes whisk attachments. They are relatively inexpensive, store easily and can be used to whisk or beat mixtures, particularly small quantities. They are also needed if whisking or beating a mixture over a saucepan of simmering water. However, they aren’t suitable for heavy-duty mixing and are not as efficient as the stand versions.

Stand mixers have a bowl that screws into the stand and usually come with a range of attachments such as a beating paddle, whisk and dough hook. Like hand-held beaters, they have a range of speeds, but their motors are more powerful and therefore able to cope with larger and thicker mixtures. Some doughs that are very soft, such as brioche dough, are easier to make in a machine than they are by hand.

Food processors have many uses when baking, from finely chopping ingredients to making pastry and quick breads. Take care when processing pastry and quick bread doughs once the liquid has been added, as it is easy to overprocess them, causing toughness and shrinkage in the finished product. As flour’s ability to absorb liquid can be affected by the weather, the batch of flour and other components, it’s harder to judge whether dough needs more liquid or flour when you can’t feel it. You really need to use your hands for this.

Again, buy the best quality food processor you can afford, and ensure it has a large bowl. A separate mini food processor that will efficiently cope with small quantities of nuts, herbs and spices is also a good investment.

Bakers’ friends

Baking beads/weights are small re-usable ceramic or metal weights that are used when blind baking pastry. You can use dried beans or rice instead, but proper weights are handy.

Cake testers are thin metal or bamboo skewers. Metal ones are available from kitchenware stores and some supermarkets and are the best option as they won’t leave large holes in your baking. The skewer is inserted into the centre of a cake or enriched bread and if it’s cooked, it will be clean when withdrawn (unless otherwise stated in the recipe).

Large metal spoons are useful for folding dry ingredients into a mixture or folding in whisked egg whites without losing the incorporated air.

Oven thermometers are important kitchen gadgets. Not all ovens are calibrated and are likely to be at least a couple of degrees out. ‘Hot spots’ are also common. A thermometer will allow you to check if your oven is accurate and adjust the temperature if necessary. Move the thermometer around in the oven when set at the same temperature and note the reading to check if you have any ‘hot spots’. There is no need to remove it from your oven between oven uses.

Palette knives can be bought in various sizes and degrees of flexibility. They have a thin flat blade with a rounded end that makes them useful for spreading fillings over doughs and lifting cooked pastries off baking trays and out of muffin tins.

Pastry brushes have natural, nylon or silicone bristles and are used to glaze tarts with sugary mixtures, brush egg washes onto pastries and doughs, and grease cake tins. It is a good idea to have a few brushes of varying sizes. Make sure you wash and dry them thoroughly before storing. Avoid cheaper brushes as they tend to shed their bristles.

Rolling pins should be straight, solid and long enough to roll out a full quantity of pastry or dough without marking the surface with the ends. A good size is about 45 cm (17¾ inches) long and 5 cm (2 inches) in diameter. Wood is preferable to ceramic or marble, as it can hold a fine layer of flour on its surface that will help prevent the pastry or dough sticking. The best ones are made of hard wood with a close grain and very smooth finish. Clean it by wiping with a damp cloth — never immerse a wooden rolling pin in water.

Ruler Keep a ruler or measuring tape in your utensil drawer for checking tin or dish dimensions or checking the thickness of pastry. All tin and dish dimensions in this book are measured from the base, with the exception of kugelhopf tins, which are best measured across the top.

Sieves are used to sift flour to help incorporate air, to combine ingredients evenly, such as flour and cocoa powder or baking powder, and to dust flour onto a work surface before rolling out pastry or kneading dough. They are also used to dust icing (confectioners’) sugar or cocoa over baked goods.

Spatulas can be made of silicone, rubber or plastic. Silicone and rubber ones are more flexible, however rubber ones tend to absorb colours and flavours more readily. Spatulas are used for folding and combining mixtures and scraping mixtures from bowls and food processors. Those with spoon-shaped ends are also good for spooning mixtures into tins. Have a few different sizes and shapes for various tasks.

Timers are necessary for accurate timing and to prevent food burning. Digital timers are more accurate than mechanical ones. Many ovens have inbuilt timers.

Whisks are used to incorporate air into a mixture, remove lumps and combine liquid mixtures, such as eggs and oil. They come in all shapes and sizes — a large and small wire balloon whisk will usually cover all required tasks.

Wooden spoons are used to mix, beat and stir. They are particularly good for mixtures being heated in a saucepan and ‘heavier’ mixtures that require stirring or beating.

Shortcrust pastry

A very high butter content and the addition of egg yolk gives shortcrust pastry and sweet shortcrust pastry the characteristic melt-in-the-mouth texture and rich flavour. These pastries aren’t difficult to master, but there are a few basic rules to note when making them. The pastry should be kept as cool as possible at every stage of the process — if it becomes too warm at any point, the finished result will be heavy and greasy. The pastry will also become difficult to work with if it becomes too warm. As with all pastries, care must be taken not to overwork it when mixing and rolling out or it may shrink and toughen during cooking. Always rest the finished pastry in the refrigerator before rolling it out and again when it is in the tin(s) before baking. This assists in preventing shrinkage and toughening of the pastry.

1  Rub in the butter using your fingertips, with your palms facing upwards so you can lift and aerate the flour mixture.

2  Use a flat-bladed knife to gradually incorporate the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients until a coarse dough forms.

3  Knead the dough lightly, just a few times, until it is smooth.

4  Shape the dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap.

Shortcrust pastry

PREPARATION TIME  10 minutes (+ 30 minutes chilling)

MAKES  enough to line a shallow 24 cm (9½ inch) fluted tart (flan) tin or four 8 cm (3¼ inch) fluted tart tins

1  Sift the flour and salt together into a large bowl. With your palms facing upwards, use your fingertips to rub in the butter, lifting the flour mixture up as you rub to aerate it, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs (pic 1).

2  Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Whisk together the egg yolk, lemon juice and water. Add to the dry ingredients and use a flat-bladed knife to gradually incorporate until a coarse dough forms, adding a little more water if necessary (pic 2).

3  Press the dough together — it should be soft, but not sticky. Turn it out onto a lightly floured, cool work surface and lightly knead just a few times, until the dough is smooth (pic 3).

4  Shape the dough into a disc and then wrap in plastic wrap (pic 4). Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to rest before rolling out and using as desired.

VARIATIONS

Parmesan shortcrust pastry: After rubbing in butter, add 35 g (1¼ oz/¹/₃ cup) finely grated parmesan cheese.

Herb shortcrust pastry: After rubbing in the butter, add 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives and 1 tablespoon finely chopped basil leaves.

Sweet shortcrust pastry

PREPARATION TIME  10 minutes (+ 30 minutes chilling)

MAKES  enough to line a shallow 24 cm (9½ inch) fluted tart (flan) tin, four 8 cm (3¼ inch) fluted tart tins or 24 patty pan holes

1  Sift the flour, icing sugar and salt together into a large bowl. With your palms facing upwards, use your fingertips to rub in the butter, lifting the flour mixture up as you rub to aerate it, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs (pic 1).

2  Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Add the whisked egg and use a flat-bladed knife to gradually incorporate until a coarse dough forms, adding a little water if necessary (pic 2).

3  Press the dough together — it should be soft, but not sticky. Turn it out onto a lightly floured, cool work surface and lightly knead a few times, until the dough is smooth (pic 3).

4  Shape the dough into a disc and then wrap in plastic wrap (pic 4). Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to rest before rolling out and using as desired.

VARIATIONS

Almond shortcrust pastry: Replace 75 g (2¾ oz/½ cup) of the flour with 50 g (1¾ oz/½ cup) almond meal and reduce the butter to 100 g (3½ oz).

Brown sugar shortcrust pastry: Replace the icing sugar with 65 g (2¼ oz/¹/₃ cup, lightly packed) light brown sugar.