Flaky pastry for savoury pies

Babiche Martens

Ingredients

200 g	Flour
125 g	Butter, chilled
½ tsp	Salt
⅓ cup	Water, iced

Directions

1. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Grate the butter over the flour.
2. Using 2 dinner knives, quickly cut the butter into the flour. Sprinkle the water over as you go until the mixture forms large clumps.
3. Gather the pastry in your hands and form into a ball. Pieces of butter should be visible. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Chef's tips

• Let fillings cool before spooning into the pastry - this can prevent the pastry base becoming soggy.
• The filling can be pretty much anything. Make way for delicious slow-cooked meats, fragrant fruits and interesting seasonal vegetables.
• Use metal pie tins not glass or porcelain - metal transfers the heat best so the pastry is crisper.
• Don't forget to egg wash the pastry (resulting in the irresistible golden colour to the crust) and scatter seeds, vanilla sugar, a grind of black pepper before baking.