On 21/04/2014 12:40 PM, Doris Night wrote:
> On Mon, 21 Apr 2014 10:58:52 -0700, graham > wrote:
>
>> On 21/04/2014 10:31 AM, Doris Night wrote:
>>> On Mon, 21 Apr 2014 00:29:49 -0500, "Polly Esther"
>>
>>>
>>> This year, for the first time in my life, I made my pie pastry in the
>>> food processor.
>>>
>>> It took 5 seconds to mix up, it rolled out beautifully, and the pies
>>> tasted like I'd lined the pie plates with cardboard. Never again.
>>>
>>> Doris
>>>
>>>
>> Did you use cake & pastry flour or all purpose? I always use the former
>> and have no problems.
>> Graham
>
> I used all purpose flour, same as always.
>
> The difference, I think, is that the way I had always made pastry, you
> cut the butter/lard into the flour. (Or you can use a cheese grater
> and grate frozen butter into the flour.) It doesn't get fully
> incorporated, leaving small lumps of fat that will make the pastry
> extra-flaky.
>
> I've been making pastry for ~40 years, and this is the first time I've
> had an unacceptable product.
>
> Doris
>
The machine will over work the dough in no time at all and AP, at least
in the northern US and Canada, is quite high in gluten. Your by-hand
method is much gentler and doesn't allow the gluten to develop.
Try the softer C&P flour with the processor and see if you get better
results. I use AP for pizza bases and even bread.
Graham