1

I'm not sure if this dough has a specific name in English, it consists of 3 parts (by weight) flour, 1 part fat (mix until it consists of small crumbs) and 1 part water (+salt, mix until it's smooth). Used either to wrap around some filling, or as the bottom below the filling. I'm using liquid plant fat (sunflower) for the fat. Recently I tried making a double portion and keeping half in the refrigerator to use later.

But the dough partly separated, i.e. some of the fat ran out.

Where I live this type of dough is readily available in stores and I've never had the separating problem with store bought one.

But the store bought ones usually use butter or hardened plant fats. Apart from using such less healthy and/or non-vegan fats, is there something else I can do to prevent separation?

I would like to emphasize that I'm after some small change or trick to solve my problem, not another kind of dough. No, I'm not preparing it wrong. When used fresh, it's just fine, i.e. the way I want it to be.

Improve this question
3
  • Is it puff pastry or some other layered fat dough that you are making? These are very dependent on changes in fat hardness due to cooling while they are being worked on....
    – rackandboneman
    Sep 28, 2017 at 17:33
  • @rackandboneman No. I added the whole recipe plus what I usually use it for. Sorry this question was so unclear, I lack all the cooking related vocabulary and it seems most of them either aren't in the dictionary or map very badly between languages (and cultures).
    – Nobody
    Sep 28, 2017 at 17:50
  • Sounds like you're correctly making what you want for use when fresh, but that doesn't always mean you're making something that can be kept. Might be a bit like saying, I'm making french fries correctly but they're never crispy the next day.
    – Cascabel ♦
    Sep 28, 2017 at 17:52

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
3

I have had this problem before too, and the only solution I have encountered is to freeze the dough you want to store, this requires a bit more planning as you will want the dough to thaw completely before you use it. The best way I have found to thaw the dough is covered on the counter or placed somewhere it can rest without being touched or moved much. I hope this helps and you solve your problem:-)

Improve this answer
1
  • I'm going to accept this in a couple days or so. It's the kind of answer I hoped for, just not as practical as I hoped for. I guess I could freeze baking tray sized sheets of it, that would thaw fast (but would need to be handled carefully or they will break).
    – Nobody
    Sep 28, 2017 at 17:26
1

What you are describing is known as pastry crust, and it has to be made with solid fats. It really only works with solid fats, not with oil, and not only because of the separation - to bake it properly, you need pockets of solid fat enclosed by fat-and-flour layers and water-flour layers, that is, you need a very special partial mixture which is impossible to achieve with liquid fats. So sorry, but there is no way around it, you need to work with solid fat.

Improve this answer
3
  • I have often made this dough using fluid fat and the (baked) result is a lot like the one made with butter or margarine, so I suspect we may not mean the same thing. Or maybe I'm just a dilettante who can't tell the difference. :) Anyway, using solid fat is out of question.
    – Nobody
    Sep 26, 2017 at 18:35
  • You may be looking for different end results than the standard, or be accustomed to this dough being made by complete blending of the solid fats (this is done for some types of cookie). I'm sorry I couldn't help, I cannot think of how you would change the basic physical properties of the dough to make it not separate without changing the recipe into something very different.
    – rumtscho ♦
    Sep 26, 2017 at 18:48
  • Seems like based on the question, "only works with solid fats" might be an overstatement. It does work as desired when fresh, just doesn't keep. Still might be that "only keeps when made with solid fats" is true though.
    – Cascabel ♦
    Sep 28, 2017 at 17:54
0

You don't add water to fatty dough. Use flour and oil in 2:1 ratio. Don't forget the water dough as the second component. The pastry will still not puff as much as a regular butter puff pastry, but the flakiness is still unmistakable.

This kind of pastry consists of a water dough and an oil dough, two parts. It is commonly used by the Chinese in their traditional pastry baking. The water dough comprises flour, water and a little oil. The oil dough comprises flour and oil and perhaps baking powder, but absolutely no water.

Here is an example:https://www.cookstr.com/recipes/chinese-puff-pastry.

Another one: http://www.recipies.50webs.com/Tao%20Sar%20Piah.htm

The method: http://www.recipies.50webs.com/Huaiyang%20chinese%20pastry%20.htm

I like to use this recipe for health reasons because I can use canola or olive oil.

Improve this answer
3
  • 1
    I was using "fatty" just as an adjective, it seems to me that there is something called fatty dough in English which is not what I meant, suggestions for better wording welcome. What you describe is definitely some other type of dough.
    – Nobody
    Sep 28, 2017 at 8:09
  • It is called oil dough in Chinese pastry. Ratio of flour to oil is approximately 2:1.
    – Backyard Chef
    Sep 28, 2017 at 12:50
  • 3
    I'm sorry, I don't understand this answer. The first sentence says no water, the second don't forget water. Can you edit?
    – user34961
    Sep 28, 2017 at 12:58

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.