Pastry: quick flaky

110g butter or hard baking fat

175g plain flour

2 x 15ml spoons cold water

Measuring scales, tin foil, sieve, large mixing bowl, grater, palette knife, measuring spoons, polythene bag.

1. First of all remove a pack of butter or hard baking fat from the fridge, weigh out 110g then wrap it in a piece of foil and put it in the freezer for 30-45 minutes.
2. When you are ready to make the pastry, sift the flour into a large, roomy bowl.
3. Take the butter/baking fat out of the freezer, fold back the foil and hold it in the foil, which will protect it from your warm hands. Dip the butter in the flour to make it easier to grate. Using the coarse side grate the butter into the flour. What you will end up with is a large pile of grated butter sitting in the middle of the flour.
4. Now take a palette knife and start to distribute the gratings into the flour – don't use your hands yet, just keep trying to coat all the pieces of fat with flour.
5. Now sprinkle 2 x 15ml spoons of cold water all over, continue to use the palette knife to bring the whole thing together, and finish off using your hands. If you need a bit more moisture, that's fine – just remember that the dough should come together in such a way that it leaves the bowl fairly clean, with no bits of loose butter or flour anywhere.
6. Now pop it into a polythene bag and chill for 30 minutes before using.

• This is a simple, quick version of flaky pastry which is great to use when you are short of time.

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