SOUR CREAM PASTRY

SOME DO’S AND DON’TS: This is an ever fail pastry recipe suitable for sweet and savory. Sift dry ingredients 3 times. The butter must be cold, but not frozen. Do not cut in the butter too finely. The lumps must be about as big as peas. Only use the given quantity of sour cream to form the dough. Even if the dough looks a little stiff, it will take shape as you knead it. Do not add water. It is always wise to let pastry dough prove at least once or twice between rolling it out. It gives the gluten a chance to soften, while the butter cools and prevents oiliness. In summer the dough can be placed in the fridge, but this is not necessary in winter, otherwise it becomes too hard and unmanageable. To make rolling out pastry easy, take the dough out of the fridge and let it stand for a little while to make it more manageable. Roll out pastry with light movements. Use enough flour on the table to prevent it from sticking to the roller. Lift the pastry up by rolling it around the rolling pin so that it does not stretch. ALWAYS bake pastry in a very hot oven at 220-230C (425-450F)

* 3 cups flour
* 1t (5ml) salt
* 250g butter
* 1 cut sour cream

Sift flour and salt 3 times and cut in the butter. Use a small knife, a pastry blender or our fingertips. Be very careful if using a food processor – it is inclined to transform the dough into a paste within minutes. The knobs of butter should remain as big as peas – and never become as small as breadcrumbs, or worse, a paste.

Add all the sour cream at once to the flour mixture and cut in with a knife. Once well blended, use one hand to knead the dough until it holds together and forms a ball.

Never add extra liquid – just continue kneading lightly – the dough will become more manageable and start to adhere.

Leave the dough to rest for half and hour or longer – overnight produces excellent results. Roll out on a floured board and fold into quarters.

Turn the dough parcel half a turn so the open side faces towards you. Roll the fold once more in the same way. Let the dough rest for another half and hour. Repeat the roll and fold process twice more. The dough is now ready to use, or it can be placed in the fridge for 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.