Fine Pastries!

Some handy tips in making the perfect pastry:

1. Keep all ingredients and utensils as cold as possible. DO NOT let the fats melt as this can lead to a tough dough once baked.
2. Wash hands under a cold running tap. This keeps your hands cool and helps to keep the dough cool.
3. Handle the dough mixture as little as possible.
4. Add the liquid a little at a time. Too much liquid creates a tough dough and to little makes it crumbly.
5. Mix the dough together, working quickly and lightly as possible.
6. Wrap the dough in a cling film and chill for 30 minutes before rolling out. Otherwise the pastry could shrink during baking.
7. Use a lightly floured clean surface and rolling pin to roll your dough. It can change the proportion of flour to liquid which will result to a very heavy texture.
8. MOST IMPORTANT: Do roll the dough in one direction. Rotating it to make it even.
9. Bake the dough blind, quickly in a hot oven before adding any fillings.
10. If you require more elasticity - add some lemon juice.