Lifstyles Ideas Management - Successful Baking

SUCCESSFUL BAKING
I love to eat pastries especially the savory ones.
Just too mouth-watering to pass by a pastry shop (not those ordinary pastry eateries) but those that specializes in just pastries. By looking at the pastries, I can tell whether it will taste moist or dry, the finishes of the pastries is just too important not to ignore.
I like pastries and eat them only when there is a strong craving as the fat is just a little too much for my cholesterol limit.
The layers and layers on top of one another simply look too good to eat, I especially like the feeling of just one bite and the whole flaky layers just fall everywhere on the plate.
Can you hear the sound of just one bite on the pastries?

I am listing all the Pastry recipes:

FLAKY PASTRY
450g plain flour, sifted
1 teaspoon salt
350g butter or pastry margarine (softened to cut)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
300 ml cold water

Mix together the flour and salt
Divide the fat into four portion
Rub one portion into the flour with fingertips
Mix in the lemon juice and cold water to a soft dough
Knead gently on a lightly floured board until smooth
Roll out to a rectangle three times longer than the width
Dot the second portion of fat over the top two thirds of the surface
Fold the bottom third and fold down the top third seal the edges by pressing together
Wrap in cling film and chill for 15 minutes
After 15 minutes place the dough on the floured board with the folded edges to your right and left and roll out again into a rectangle.
Repeat the dotting, folding and chilling process twice until all the fat is used up
Wrap again and chill for at least 45 minutes before using

PUFF PASTRY
450g plain flour, sifted
1 teaspoon salt
450g butter, softened to cut
1 teaspoon lemon juice
75 -100 ml iced water

Mix together the flour and salt
Add 50g of the butter, cut into small pieces
Rub into the flour until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs
Add lemon juice and enough water to a soft dough
Knead lightly until really smooth
In a clean cloth, shape the remaining butter into a rectangular
On a lightly floured board, roll out the pastry to a rectangle slightly wider than the rectangular butter and about twice its length
Place the butter on one half of the pastry and fold the other half over
Press the edges together with a rolling pin
Leave in a cool place for 15 minutes to allow the butter to harden slightly
Roll out the pastry to a long strip three times in its originally length but keep the width the same
The butter should not break through the dough
Fold the bottom third up and the top third down press the edges together with a rolling pin.
Put inside a plastic bag and chill for 30 minutes
Place the dough n the floured board with the folded edges to your right and left and roll into a long strip as before.
Fold again into three and chill for a further 30 minutes
Repeat the process four times more and chill for 30 minutes before using
This is best made over two days, rolling three times and chilling overnight before completing the rolling the following day

RICH SHORTCRUST PASTRY
450g plain flour, sifted
A good pinch of salt
350g butter, softened
2 egg yolks
4 teaspoons caster sugar
3-4 tablespoon cold water

Mix together the flour and salt
Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs
Make a well in the middle
Add the egg yolks and sugar mix with a palette knife
Add enough of the water a little at a time to give stiff but pliable dough
Knead lightly until smooth
Wrap in a cling film and chilled for at least 15 minutes before using

ROUGH PUFF PASTRY
450g plain flour, sifted
A good pinch of salt
350g butter or pastry margarine (softened to cut)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3-4 tablespoons cold water

Mix together the flour and salt
Cut the fat into small pieces and stir lightly into the flour with palette knife
Make a well in the middle
Add lemon juice and mix enough water to give an elastic dough
On a lightly floured board, roll out the dough to a long strip keeping the side straight
Fold up the bottom third and fold down the top third and turn the dough so that the folded edges are to your right and left.
Repeat the rolling and folding process three times more
Chilling the pastry for 15 minutes between the third and fourth rolling
Chill for at least 15 minutes before using

SHORTCRUST PASTRY
450g plain flour, sifted
A good pinch of salt
100g butter, softened
100g pastry margarine
3-4 tablespoon cold water

Mix together the flour and salt
Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs
Add enough of the water a little at a time mixing with a fork to give stiff but pliable dough
Knead lightly until smooth
Wrap in a cling film and chilled for at least 15 minutes before using