Recipe Wholemeal soft shortcrust pastry

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I've been promising to write this up for a while now. there are 2 ingredients that make this recipe different from normal. the first is the use of 1tbsp olive or sunflower oil. the 2nd is the use of brown sugar dissolved in a couple of tablespoons of hot water. somehow these two extra ingredients make the pastry softer than normal or without.

If I'm using it as a pastry lining for day a quiche or tart, then I'll cook the pastry on the flan dish for 10 minutes at around 200C. you must prick the pastry thoroughly with a fork before baking and cook until almost staying to brown but not quite. you don't want it brown, but you want it cooked. if I'm using it for a pasty then I'll use as is.

Ingredients
8oz wholemeal self raising flour
1tsp fine sea salt
4oz vegan margarine (cold)
2 tbsp sunflower or olive oil
2 tsp brown sugar
3-4 tbsp hot water

Method

1. Sift the flour with the salt.
2. Add in the margarine and oil and mix until it resembles breadcrumbs
3. Dissolve the sugar in the water
4. Now slowly add the water a teaspoon at a time until the dough holds together and is soft to the touch. it should not be dry or hard, but neither should it be wet and sticky.
5. Wrap the pastry on clingfilm excluding ask air and chill for a minimum of half an hour.
6. When ready to use, minimise rolling, cutting and rerolling. it's the reroling in my experience that helps make it chewy and lose its softness.

It also works well with white flour. if you are using plain flour, you'll need to include 1tsp baking powder per 8oz flour.

 

[Morning Glory]

It also works well with white flour. if you are using plain flour, you'll need to include 1tsp baking powder per 8oz flour.

Why do you suggest adding BP? I make white shortcrust a lot and never do. In fact, if you do and use it in a flan, it is liable to puff up on the base.
BTW, do you blind bake your flan case?

 

[Cinisajoy]

What is the fat percentage of vegan margarine?

 

[alexander]

What is the fat percentage of vegan margarine?

I think almost all marge is vegan but i may be wrong. i think it has same as butter but is a different type of fat. My Mum makes pastry using marge. But what I don't know is if puff pastry can be made from margarine.

 

[Cinisajoy]

I think almost all marge is vegan but i may be wrong. i think it has same as butter but is a different type of fat. My Mum makes pastry using marge. But what I don't know is if puff pastry can be made from margarine.

Our butter is 80% fat. Our margarine is 53% fat.
Now yours may be comparable and that is why I asked. Some things are totally different across the pond.
I wouldn't try puff with our margarine.
Or your margarine may be what we call shortening.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I think almost all marge is vegan but i may be wrong

sadly you are very wrong in that instance. Very little margarine (in the UK & Europe in general) is actually dairy free. This is speaking as someone (fatally) allergic to dairy.
The same is true for most ready made pastry unless it is made by Jus rol, and bread is also a major issues for dairy as well.

What is the fat percentage of vegan margarine?

good question - I have used a variety but the one I am currently using (Tablelands Smart Dairy Free Spread, an Australian one for obvious reasons) is 52% fat so pretty close.
The one I use in the UK for cooking (Pure Soya Marg) is 54% fat, so again very close.

 

[Cinisajoy]

good question - I have used a variety but the one I am currently using (Tablelands Smart Dairy Free Spread, an Australian one for obvious reasons) is 52% fat so pretty close.
The one I use in the UK for cooking (Pure Soya Marg) is 54% fat, so again very close.

I don't think that 1% either way will make much of a difference.