[malca]

I used :
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 stick MARGARINE (not butter), cold
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp ICE water

followed instructions for making this in a food processor & wrapped the result in foil & left it in the fridge for one hour.

RESULT: the dough was UNROLLABLE!!! Stuck to my pin, & when I just used the heel of my hand to cover the pan, it was oh so greasy...

What am I doing wrong??? HEEELP...

[Mezzaluna]

Hello Malca and welcome to Chef Talk. I hope you enjoy being part of this community.

Your request is one for help with baking and pastry. Since you posted it in the Welcome Forum, I'll move it to the Baking and Pastry General Forum, where it'll get the answers you're looking for.

Welcome!
Mezzaluna

[Jock]

Use butter. Margarine is made from hydroginated vegetable oils and that's causing the pie dough (called Pate Brisee) to look and feel oily. The margerine doesn't firm up in the fridge like butter does.

Not only that, hydrogenized fats (like margerine) cause the production of unhealthy fatty acids in the body. And then there's the flavor - butter just tastes better.

[singer4660]

Butter or lard (or a combination of both) are the way to go. Put it in the freezer for a few hours before you start and only pulse if using a food processor. You should try to end up with visible chunks of butter/lard when you roll out the dough as this is what makes the dough flaky.

It could also be the egg yolk. I've never made a pie crust with egg in it, so I don't know for sure, but it seems like it would create a gummy texture. Good luck!

[Jock]

Originally Posted by singer4660

Butter or lard (or a combination of both) are the way to go. Put it in the freezer for a few hours before you start and only pulse if using a food processor. You should try to end up with visible chunks of butter/lard when you roll out the dough as this is what makes the dough flaky.

It could also be the egg yolk. I've never made a pie crust with egg in it, so I don't know for sure, but it seems like it would create a gummy texture. Good luck!

Singer, I think what you are describing is the clasic flakey pie crust. A quiche is typically made with a Pate Brisee crust which is tender and buttery but not flakey. It is made with egg too.

Now I think of it I believe that whatever the fat, the recipe posted has too much of it. I've seen some recipes with a high fat content but I think 80% is too much. 40-50% works for me.

[Blueicus]

As Jock said, that recipe contains way too much fat compared to flour. Assuming that cup of flour was around 4 ounces, then you essentially had equal amounts of fat and flour in it... which works in some cases, but not for quiche dough. As other said, replace your margarine for butter (for a textural and flavour improvement), and reduce the butter to around 2/3rds of a stick.

[singer4660]

Originally Posted by Jock

Singer, I think what you are describing is the clasic flakey pie crust. A quiche is typically made with a Pate Brisee crust which is tender and buttery but not flakey. It is made with egg too.

Now I think of it I believe that whatever the fat, the recipe posted has too much of it. I've seen some recipes with a high fat content but I think 80% is too much. 40-50% works for me.

Interesting. I looked through several of my cookbooks and none of the quiche recipes I found used a dough that included egg. Even my Joy of Cooking recipe was a combination of butter and lard, and the recipe title indicated that it was for Pate Brisee. Do you have a recipe that includes the egg that works? I'd like to try it.

[Titomike]

I'm not a pastry chef but understand these to be good guidelines...

Accuracy & technique are more important in pastry work...think chemistry

As a general rule for short pastry (sweet or savoury) 1/2 fat to flour

Add egg yolks to enrich & colour, for delicacy, &/or lemon juice to ice water to toughen for sturdiness

Splitting the fat component about 2/3 butter(!) to 1/3 lard, cream cheese (softens) or maybe even cottage for a twist

After pulsing work in the ice water just enough to fully combine to maintain the short texture...I think this is critical

A pastry chef taught me to roll pastry between baking paper, turning it over and releasing it regulary as you go. When satisfied, lay gladwrap over it, peel off the the other side & you can easily pick up thin, delicate pastry!

I was told its a Granny trick to lay cheese on the bottom to help the base cook out crisply or an egg white wash to finish the blind bake for fruit.

Hope some of this is useful

[Blueicus]

Pate Brisee does normally have egg, but it also usually includes the egg while for water content and proteins for stability. Egg in pie/tart dough adds colour, flavour and alters the texture of the final product. Add your egg equal to around a quarter of the butter added in weight.

[vapour]

yeah, margarine is made up of a lot of water and will not make a decent crust at all. my stand by recipe for pies and quiche:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
pinch sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, diced and frozen
1/3 cup (more or less) ice water

blitz dry ingredients in food processor. add frozen butter and blitz again till the biggest pieces of butter are the size of peas. i now dump this mix into a bowl and finish by hand. slowly add ice water and mix until the dough doesnt crumble into sand once you press it together.

at this point, it will still be somewhat falling apart, but you need to press it together and put it in the fridge wrapped for at least 30 mins before rolling.

margarine doesn't have a place in the pastry kitchen, there are no benefits to using it. if you're making a quiche, make a proper quiche, and the result will be much more satisfying

[PeteMcCracken]

Page 139 of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking".

[Jock]

Originally Posted by singer4660

Interesting. I looked through several of my cookbooks and none of the quiche recipes I found used a dough that included egg. Even my Joy of Cooking recipe was a combination of butter and lard, and the recipe title indicated that it was for Pate Brisee. Do you have a recipe that includes the egg that works? I'd like to try it.

You can Google "Pate Brisee Recipe) and get dozens of hits. The one I use is as follows (for an 11" tart shell):

2 1/2 cups APF
3/4 tsp salt
5 oz cold, unsalted butter cut into 1/4" pieces
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup ice water

Combine flour and salt in KA with paddle attachment or food processor.
Add butter and mix till the mixture resmbles fine bread crumbs. (No pea sized pieces of butter here.)
Add the egg and water and mix just until large lumps begin to form.
Turn the mixture out on to a lightly floured board and gather it together.
Wrap in plastic and refrigerate an hour.

Good luck

[PeteMcCracken]

Originally Posted by Jock

You can Google "Pate Brisee Recipe) and get dozens of hits...

True, but there are far more that do NOT include "egg", see Pâte Brisée - Google Search

[singer4660]

Which is exactly why I requested recipe "that works". You can Google any recipe and get dozens if not hundreds of responses, yet there are only a limited number of sites that actually provide recipes that work consistently in the home kitchen. I try every recipe exactly as written the first time (unless there's an obvious error) and improvise from there so it's important to know I'm starting with something that comes out as it should.

Thanks Jock, for the recipe. I'll give it a try this weekend.