The Simple Dough for Savory Pies is a dough similar to puff pastry but lighter as neither butter nor yeast is present, requiring only flour, oil, water, salt, and milk which can be replaced with lactose-free or plant-based milk for the intolerant. It can be quickly prepared even in a bowl without using tools but needs at least 1 hour of rest to become elastic and facilitate stretching. In fact, to prepare the pastry, a rolling pin is used to widen it a little, but then it must be worked with the hands, without rings to avoid tearing it, stretching it until almost transparent. Its crumbly and crunchy texture is perfect for savory pies and the result is even more similar to puff pastry if several oil-brushed layers are made between each other.
Other recipes
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 6 People
- Cooking methods: No Cooking
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Liguria
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 198.27 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 33.91 (g) of which sugars 0.91 (g)
- Proteins 6.86 (g)
- Fat 3.83 (g) of which saturated 0.52 (g)of which unsaturated 0.04 (g)
- Fibers 1.10 (g)
- Sodium 323.92 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 81 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
With these quantities, you can prepare 4 – 5 very thin layers for a rectangular baking pan of 9.5 x 12.5 inches or a round one of 11 inches in diameter.
- 2 1/2 cups Manitoba flour
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 1/3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/3 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp fine salt
Tools
- Food Scale
- Bowl
- Measuring Jug
- Brush
Steps
Prepare the dough by starting to mix in a food processor or with a bowl the flour with the salt and pouring in half of the water. Stir with a spoon and pour in the remaining water, milk (lactose-free or plant-based is also fine for the intolerant), and oil. Turn out onto a work surface and finish kneading by hand until forming a nice elastic dough ball. I usually divide it into four or five parts since for savory pies I use two layers underneath and two or three on top. After resting, the Simple Dough is ready to be rolled out thinly by hand into sheets and used for the base and covering of savory pies. These require baking in a static oven for 40 – 45 minutes.
Storage
The leftover Simple Dough should be stored in the fridge and used the next day. You can prepare small flatbreads like piadine in a pan.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
How long should the simple dough bake?
The Simple Dough has a baking time of about 40 – 45 minutes. These times may vary depending on the filling.
What recipes can be made using simple dough?
With Simple Dough, you can prepare vegetable pies like cheese focaccia, savory rice pie, Pasqualina, and generally all savory preparations.
