Many people have forgotten or never knew that using just-boiled water is the secret to making stellar pie crusts, light milk breads and other baked goods such as tortillas, cornbread and even cream puffs. Using hot water can speed up the mixing time, make doughs easier to handle. These doughs can also produce softer, fluffier breads and other baked goods. Hot water also creates stunning pie crusts.
But why does hot water work so well in doughs and pie crusts. Some of the reasons are:
This yields a smoother dough which requires less resting and kneading time. When moist starch is heated above 140 degrees F (60 degrees C), the individual starch granules swell quickly and combine to form network gel-like structure that traps water in the dough as it is prepared and cooked. This process is known as starch gelatinization. It creates dough that is much easier to mix, handle and roll out. Less time and effort is required for resting or kneading the dough to get the ideal consistency. The dough is instantly supple, smooth and easy to handle. Also the dough stays soft, but with a strong and sturdy texture as it is worked and cooked. Gelatinization is part of the French pâte à choux, where flour and water are combined and cooked together to form the pastry for making cream puffs and gougères.
Using very hot water is also part of the Chinese process for making tangzhong, a soft, milk bread that is yeasted. This involves preparing a flour-and-water roux similar to the French process. Yeast is added to the wet dough after the heot flour and water mixture has cooled. The process of gelatinization is also used to bind and provide structure and texture to breads made with flour that is naturally free of gluten, such as cornmeal or tapioca.
Roti is made with a type of whole-wheat flour, called atta, that is very rich in protein. This means that the gluten that develops when the flour is mixed with water and kneaded is too strong making the dough too 'springy' and hard to handle. Using boiling hot water when making roti, denatures the protein and stops the excess gluten developing in the dough. As a result the dough that was much easier to handle. The dough comes together more easily without much resting or kneading. Also, the roti rounds rise higher on the griddle, and stay soft longer after the roti cools down.
In China, boiling water is used in many scallion pancake recipes. Using boiling water makes these scallion pancakes easier to roll, fold, fill, and then roll out again forming flaky and soft scallion-flecked layers.
Flatbreads, savory quick breads and tea cakes made with coarse flours and mix of spices, dried fruits or grated vegetables, are hydrated more easily with hot water. Working with flours like chickpea, buckwheat or cornmeal is easier using hot water. The spices are also activated by hot water helping the flavor and color seep into the flour.
Baked goods, such as milk breads, can be made to be lighter and fluffier when hot water is used. Boiling water speeds up the reaction time of chemical leaveners making them softer and lighter when cooked.
For the Samosa filling
For the Hot Water Dough
Make the filling by heating the oil in a large deep frying pan or Dutch oven over moderate heat until very hot. Add the onion and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and stir-fry, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent and soft (about 5-7 minutes). Add in the garlic, cumin, ginger and red-pepper flakes, and fry until the spices are fragrant (1-2 minutes). Add the lamb mince, breaking the ball apart, and cooking, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is just cooked through (about 6-8 minutes). Then, add the potatoes, cover the pan, and cook slowly over moderate to low heat, until the potatoes are just starting to soften (about 20 minutes).
Cook the peas in boiling water until just heated through (1-2 minutes). Add the cornstarch slurry and then turn off the heat below the pan and add the cilantro. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set the mixture aside to cook and let cool ready for assembling the pie.
Pre-heat your oven 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Next, make the pastry by whisking the flour, turmeric and salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a small well in the center of the flour. In a small pot, bring 1 cup of water and the shortening to a boil over moderate heat. Then, just when it start to boil, pour the mixture into the well in the flour. Quickly stir the hot water into the flour, and mix thoroughly. Set aside to cool. Then, knead the dough with your hands to form a smooth ball.
Wrap about 1/3 of the dough in plastic wrap and set aside. Roll the remaining dough into a circle to fit in an 8-inch (18 cm) spring-form pan, pressing it into the bottom and up against the sides of the pan. Then, add the filling and use the back of a spoon to spread it evenly and to smooth out the top. Leave about a 1/2-inch rim (1.3 cm) of dough protruding above the filling. Brush the protruding edge it with the beaten egg. Roll the reserved dough into a circle for the pie top. Press the top a side edges of the crust dough together sealing the edges. Cut a small hole in the center of the pie to allow air to escape. Brush the top of the pie crust with beaten egg and bake until the top is firm and deep golden brown in color (about 60-75 minutes). Let cool the pie cool in the pan on a rack to room temperature before removing from the pan and serving warm.
Ingredients
Method
Stir together the flour and sugar in a medium size heat-proof bowl. Pour in the boiling water, rapidly mix with the flour using a wooden spoon to ensure all the water is absorbed by the flour. Then, add the cold water and mix thoroughly. The dough that forms will stick together and will start to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If needed, add some extra cold water, a teaspoon at a time. The dough should be dry rather than sticky, but should form a ball. Dust your bench or work surface with a little flour. Remove the dough ball and gently knead it on your bench until it is elastic, silky and smooth, adding more flour as required. Knead only for 3-5 minutes. Lightly cover the dough with cling wrap or a clean damp cloth and set aside to rest for about 60-75 minutes. Then, knead the rested dough for a one to two minutes, until it is smooth.
Then, divide the dough into 4 equal size pieces and roll into balls. Roll each of the balls into 7-inch (17 cm) rounds. Next, brush each dough round lightly with some sesame oil and season with a sprinkling of salt. Add about a quarter of the minced scallions mixture to each round. Tightly roll each of the rounds into a fat rope, then coil each to form a shape like a snail’s shell. Push the end of each coiled rope into the bun so that it seals. Cover the coiled rounds with plastic wrap or a damp cloth, and set aside for 15-20 minutes.
Next, roll each cake out with a floured rolling pin into a 7-inch (17 cm) round. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan over moderate heat until it is hot, but not smoking. Add each of the flattened scallion cakes to the pan using tongs, and fry until golden brown on the bottom (1-2 minutes). Carefully flip each cake over and fry until the other side is golden brown. When all the cakes are fried, sprinkle with a little more salt, slice each into 6-8 wedges, and serve them immediately.
For the Handvo
For the Yogurt Sauce
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Make the handvo by heating the oil over medium-high in a large cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven. When the oil is hot fry the peanuts until they start to brown (1-2 minutes). Then, add the cumin seeds, and cook while stirring for about 10-15 seconds. Then, add the curry leaves, stir and immediately turn off the heat. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Then, add the fenugreek, cilantro, carrots, ginger, semolina, yogurt, chickpea flour, chile powder, salt, baking powder, turmeric and baking soda. Stir until well mixed. Add 1 cup of boiling water to the semolina-carrot mixture and stir to mix thoroughly. Then, immediately pour the mixture back into the skillet you used to toast the spices. Sprinkle the sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds on top.
Bake the mixture in the skillet for 40-45 minutes until the mixture is cooked and set with a crisp crust. Remove the pan from the oven and cool in the pan on a rack for 10-15 minutes.
Next, make the yogurt sauce: by combining the yogurt, sugar and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Then, heat the oil over moderate-high heat and fry the garlic until translucent. Then, add the chopped curry leaves and mustard seeds. Carefully pour the oil into the seasoned yogurt and fold through. Sprinkle the reserved herbs, spices and chile powder over the top.
To serve, remove the handvo from the pan, gently slide it onto a serving plate, using a large spatula. Serve it warm with with the yogurt sauce.