8 GREAT TIPS ON BAKING PASTRY…

For the flakiest upper pie crust, brush the top lightly with cold water before baking.

To avoid your pie crust from becoming too soggy, sprinkle it with equal parts of sugar and flour before adding filling.

If you haven’t got a pastry cutter for your pies then improvise with an aerosol lid instead.

To stop pastry sticking to your rolling pin, put the pin in the freezer or fridge so that it’s cold before you use it.

Buy a Silicon Pastry Brush – non stick and heat resistant to 315C so you can baste with hot oils.

A common mistake when rolling out pastry is to change the direction of the pin rather than the pastry which then encourages the pastry to stick. To prevent this, give the pastry a quarter turn every few seconds while rolling with the pin in the same position and lightly dust the surface frequently with flour.

A back pain baking tip – to avoid hurting your back, don’t turn your body at an angle when rolling pastry. Turn the pastry around instead.

Always let pie pastry dry throughout before adding filling as it will prevent it from seeping while cooking.