How to Make Pasty Dough

This flaky dough is perfect for using with pasties and any kind of a pot pie. The trick with the dough is to keep it as chilled as possible to keep the butter in small pieces instead of melting into the dough. This technique will make the dough nice and flaky once it is baked.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Above ingredients
• Pastry cutter
• Fine mesh sifter or strainer
• Large bowl
• 3 cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup chilled unsalted butter
• 1½ tsp salt
• 12 tbsp water

Pasty Dough

1. Cut the butter into tablespoon-sized slices and keep them refrigerated until you are ready to use them.
2. In a large bowl, sift the flour and salt together. Add the butter on top of the flour.
3. Using a pastry cutter or two butter knives, cut the butter into the flour until the butter and flour are mixed together. To cut the butter, press down with the pastry cutter or draw the two knives through the butter away from each other. The butter should be crumbly and about the size of peas or slightly smaller.
4. Add half of the water and mix it into the crumbly flour mixture to create a dough. Then add the rest of the water a tablespoon at a time, mixing each time until the water is just incorporated.
5. Once all of the water is added, the dough should look glossy and uniform. Form the dough into a cohesive ball.
6. Wrap the dough in plastic film. Refrigerate the dough for an hour.
7. Sprinkle approximately two tablespoons of flour onto your preparation surface.
8. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and place on the floured surface and knead for approximately five minutes, adding flour if the dough is sticky or water if the dough is crumbly.
9. Roll the dough into a fat cylindrical shape to aid in equal division of the dough. Divide the dough into five to six equal portions. The pasties will be larger if you use only five portions.
10. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble your pasties.

Tips & Warnings

• The dough should be kept as cold as possible in order to keep the butter from melting. The secret to flaky crust is the bits of whole butter in the dough. These butter bits will melt in the hot oven and create steam, puffing the dough up and creating flaky dough.
• You can also use a stand mixer with a dough hook to make this dough in less time. Add the sifted flour and salt, then add the butter and pulse the machine at half speed until the butter is in pea-sized crumbs. Add the water a tablespoon at a time, pulsing the machine after each addition. Once all of the water is added, mix the dough for approximately one minute at medium speed until the dough has gathered into a ball. Refrigerate and knead as per the above directions.
• You can refrigerate this dough for a week, or freeze for a month as long as it is wrapped well.
• If you freeze the dough, take it out an hour before you intend to use it.