I wanted to share some of the little tips I learned over the last week. I'm guessing a lot of people already know most of these, but hey, they're new to me!
1. Gluten strengthens with agitation. In English: The more you work a dough, the tougher it gets. Instead of rolling out the dough, smack it with a rolling pin until its flat and in a circular shape. I mean really, just pound that sucker. Then, once you have it pretty flat and thin (about 1/2"), roll to desired thickness. Apparently the smacking doesn't agitate as much as rolling. Ta Da! Tender flakey pie dough.
2. If you have to pre-bake a crust (like for a quiche or a tart) - cook it until dark golden brown. It really is a lot darker than you think, and it also takes a lot longer than you think. I have been under-cooking my dough all my life and I didn't even know it. The dough browns as the sugar caramelizes. So, more cooked = more tasty.
3. Dough comes together a lot easier if you don't use a bowl. Just throw the ingredients on your counter. I promise, its a lot faster and (if you do it right) its surprisingly clean. I'll elaborate on this in a different post. Soon.
4. And the prize for the most useful information goes to...(drum roll)...Dough can be rolled out and frozen for MONTHS. Like, seriously... months. I never knew this. Want a ton of pies for Thanksgiving? Make the doughs this weekend, roll them out next weekend, and store them in the freezer on parchment paper until November. Wow. Think about how much easier your life would be if you already had some rolled out tart dough in the freezer? You could have a fancy schmancy dessert in 30 min! This is life-changing information, Folks!
OK, picture time:
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| potato leek and bacon tart |
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| strawberry fig pie |
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| kiwi lemon tartelettes, potato/roasted garlic galettes, and a blackberry tart (in the foil- it had an accident) |
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