shortcrust pastry help

[buttons-and-bows]

does anyone know what the pastry is called that is vertually the same as short crust but a bit softer, as with my shortcrust you need a dentist on standby.

[PoppyGrove]

I'm far from a bakery or kitchen expert and could be far from right - but it sounds like its what I refer to as butter pastry that you may be after. Does that sound right to you?

[bluejypsy]

does anyone know what the pastry is called that is vertually the same as short crust but a bit softer, as with my shortcrust you need a dentist on standby.

What are you using? I use half fat to flour as a basic recipe. For savoury I use lard but if I wanted it for a sweet I would use marg/ butter. Not sure if that is any help to you.

[buttons-and-bows]

I use butter half fat to flour, I know there is one as i found it once on a pastry site but I will be darned if I can find it again

[MagnetsAndHangers]

does anyone know what the pastry is called that is vertually the same as short crust but a bit softer, as with my shortcrust you need a dentist on standby.

Just so I know what you are after, can you liken it to pastry found on a certain foodstuff?
Eg..........is it similar to pastry found on a steak pie? apple pie? pastie? etc etc.

May be able to help once I know what it is for?

[buttons-and-bows]

Soft like on an apple pie but not hard like on a steak pie or pasty, I don't like this ready mixed pastry and bread mix thay all the stores are using now.
I made some sausage rolls and you could have used them as coshes.

[buttons-and-bows]

Going to try and make a lemon merangue from scratch later on

[bykimbo]

I think what you're looking for is "good short-crust pastry" as opposed to "bad short-crust pastry". No short-crust should be hard, it's supposed to be *short*. Soft and melty. Made with plenty of shortening. And a light touch.

[MagnetsAndHangers]

Pastry isnt my strong point - Ive also asked for advice on it in here in the past.

I have used this recipe - and it came out excellent

http://www.deliaonline.com/how-to-co...st-pastry.html

[TexasAda]

Possibly a softer pastry would be made with low gluten flour similar to cake flour, and a firmer pastry with high gluten flour like bread flour? I can't speak from experience as I haven't made piecrust for long time, and I think i used all-purpose flour back then.