How To Use a Dough Blender
Some pie crusts come out light and flaky. Other crusts have a texture that makes you wonder if cement was one of the ingredients. Many times the the dry, hard crust is a result of overworking the dough. Gluten in the flour causes the dough to become harder the more it's worked with. This can be avoided with the proper use of a dough blender. Many chefs/cooks call it a pastry cutter. The dough blender helps to mix the ingredients of a pastry recipe, such as biscuits or pie crust, without overworking the dough.
The dough blender is not just for pastries, though. There are many uses for this great kitchen gadget.
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Instructions
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Measure dry ingredients into a bowl. The dough blender can be used to mix the contents of the bowl to ensure proper distribution of the ingredients. Mixing is done with a stirring and scraping motion. Add the shortening, oil or whatever fat is called for in your recipe. Be certain the fat is not warm. Adding warm fats can get the glutens in the bread active before necessary.
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Grip the pastry cutter, or dough blender, firmly and begin cutting the shortening into the dry ingredients with short strokes. The motion is almost that of a kitten batting a hanging string. This step is crucial to a good pastry, crust or dough. Only work the dough mixture until it begins to resemble course crumbs.
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Remove the dough blender from the dough. Scrape off the excess dough with a knife. The edge of a dough blender is sharp and can act as a knife. Many chefs learn the hard way by cutting themselves on this utensil.
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Use the dough blender in other ways in the kitchen to save time. Slicing a hard-boiled egg is easy. Grip the egg on either end. Bring the dough blender straight down on the side of the egg. This makes perfect slices for salads. Cutting again crosswise will make perfect small cubes for egg salad.
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Cut cooked beets into perfect slices using the dough blender, using the same method as cutting the hard boiled egg. Deli meats can be chopped the same way for the perfect addition to a chef salad.
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Cooked apples can be turned into delicious chunky applesauce by turning the apples into a bowl. Add cinnamon and sugar, and mix using the same motion as for making pastry dough.
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Tips & Warnings
Choose fresh flour, lard and shortening when making doughs or pastries. The resulting crust is light and flaky. For pies, adding a bit of sugar and cinnamon to the dry ingredients adds a little extra flavor to the crust.
Always remember to treat the dough blender as if it was a knife. The blades may not look sharp, but they can cut just as quickly as any knife.
