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buttet/lard/sour cream for pie crust ?

post #1 of 8
10/11/09 at 6:38am
Thread Starter 
"Sour cream, made out of cream, contains from 12 to 16 percent butterfat (about 14 grams per 4 ounce serving), and gets its characteristic tang from the lactic acid created by the bacteria. Commercially produced sour cream often contains additional thickening agents such as gelatin, rennin, guar and carrageen, as well as acids to artificially sour the product." Wikipedia


I have seen alot of people last year bake their pie crust with lard and or butter. Since sour cream is a component with an almost equal amount of fat content, which of the three is better used for baking pie crust ?

And why ?

Thought I would ruminate this Query...
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post #2 of 8
10/11/09 at 6:55am
Good sour cream (read the Labels) contain not what I call stretchers.Gels, stabilizers etc. You could take water add a few tablespoons of sour cream, and whitener and then add all the chemicals and it would yield same amount of sour cream but at half the price, but its not as good quality as the real thing. Store brand are usually made like this , that is why they are cheaper, yougurts same applies and now also cottage cheeses. Its called PROFIT.
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post #3 of 8
10/11/09 at 7:59am
Sour cream has nowhere near the fat content of lard or butter. Butter has a minimum of 80% butterfat and Lard is pretty much pure fat. You can use sour cream as a liquefying agent in place of water, but as a fat it will do poorly (since there is so little of it), resulting in a dough that is more tough and pasta-like rather than flaky.
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post #4 of 8
10/11/09 at 8:18am
Chef Petals,

Sourcream doughs are very characteristic, they make an extremely tender crust with no flake to it -- landing somewhere between a scone and pate sablee.

The best thing you can do is try one by finding a Jewish or Eastern European bakery and buying rugeleh -- if you haven't tried them before. If you're a chocolate junky, buy chocolate rugeleh; and after you've tasted one cold (to check the quality of the dough), use the microwave to heat the rest.

BDL
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post #5 of 8
10/11/09 at 8:57am
Thread Starter 
Chef Ed,

Do you use sour cream in your recipe ?

I think all 3 are good, but in my heart, there is something about sour cream in a pastry that gives it that extra something...I do not know what to call it....

By the way, I wrote Butter wrong for new thread....I acknowledge this.

Lard has its own quality

Butter has its own taste

All three fats are a science....
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post #6 of 8
10/11/09 at 9:09am
Thread Starter 
Chef BDL


The next time I go and pick up my bagels, I will get the Rugeleh AGAIN, this is one of my favorites at the bakery, I have always bought raspberry though , I love chocolate strudel.

Yes I enjoy chocolate, but no less that 70 %.

I will inquire to a friend about what or how they made this one recipe with sourcream in their dough.

Generations past have always used lard or butter.....

Depending for "what" of course.
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post #7 of 8
10/11/09 at 12:23pm
Rugeleh is one of my favorite snax. It used to be made out of leftover dough with cream cheese rolled in. Don't know how its made today.,although I had one made out of puff paste and did not like it. And Petals I do use sour cream in cooking, and baking.
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post #8 of 8
10/11/09 at 1:03pm
My rugelah recipe has sour cream and margarine in it- no cream cheese as most rugelah doughs do that I've researched. I tried substituting butter for the margarine, but I didn't like the texture as much as with margarine. I can get the dough to be flaky, but not as flaky as pie crust 'should' be.

I think butter has more water in it than lard, right? (Someone please set me straight!) The water is needed, however, as it turns to steam and creates flaking in dough.
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