Similar in texture to short-crust pastry but the dough is stiff enough to stand alone without the support of a dish. The pastry is shaped by hand whilst still warm and then filled and the top put on. Prepare the filling before making the pastry. It’s best to cut off the piece for the lid first and leave it covered with a towel in a bowl over hot water to keep it warm. Used for pork pies, game pies and other pies needing a hand-raised pastry.
Pork Pies Using Hot Water Pastry
Ingredients for Hot Water Pastry Recipe:
- 12 oz (336 g) plain flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Yolk of one egg
- 3 oz (80 g) lard or hard vegetable fat
- 1 oz (30 g) Butter
- 4 tablespoon Milk
- 5 tablespoons water
Method for Making Hot Water Pastry:
- Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl, warm slightly in the oven (on low) for ten minutes. Make a well in the centre.
- Beat the egg yolk with one tablespoon of milk and pour into the well.
- Put water, milk, lard and butter into a saucepan and heat until the fats melt then raise to a brisk boil.
- Pour into the well and mix with a wooden spoon until the ingredients are well blended.
- Turn out onto a floured board and knead quickly until smooth.
- Put into a basin standing over a pan of hot water. Cover with a clean tea towel or lid and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
- Roll out on a floured board to about ¼” thick.
- Cut circles for the base and lid of the pie. Reserve the piece for the lid and leave it covered with a towel in a bowl over hot water to keep it warm.
- Cut a rectangle for the sides which should be as wide as the height of your pie and 3.2 times the diameter of the lid long. i.e. a 3″ diameter lid has a circumference of 9.45″, so the length of the rectangle will need to be 9½ inches long.
More Pastry Making Guides, Tips & Information
- Basic Guide to How to Make Pastry – Tips for Better Pastry Making
- Fleur Pastry Recipe – How to Make Fleur Pastry
- Filo Pastry Recipe – How to Make Filo Pastry
- Cheese Pastry Recipe – How to Make Cheese Pastry
- Choux Pastry Recipe – How to Make Choux Pastry
- Flaky Pastry Recipe – How to Make Flaky Pastry
- Hot Water Pastry Recipe – How to Make Hot Water Pastry
- Lemon Shortcrust Pastry Recipe – How to Make Lemon Shortcrust Pastry
- Nut Pastry Recipe – How to Make Nut Shortcrust Pastry
- Potato Pastry Recipe – How to Make Potato Pastry
- Puff Pastry Recipe – How to Make Puff Pastry
- Rough Puff Pastry Recipe – How to Make Rough Puff Pastry
- Shortcrust Pastry Recipe – How to Make Shortcrust Pastry
- Suet Pastry Recipe – How to Make Suet Pastry
