Have you ever found yourself wondering how to use a pastry cutter and what the best substitutes for it are?
Pastry cutters are kitchen tools that are used for cutting dough, yet many find themselves searching for an appropriate substitute due to not having one at hand.
Depending on what your recipe calls for, there are some great alternatives that can give you the same desired result.
Knowing how to use them properly and which ones work best is essential in ensuring your pastry recipes come out just right.
So let’s get started on learning all about pastry cutters and their substitutions
The 5 BEST Substitutes for Pastry Cutter
However, if you don’t have a pastry cutter on hand or can’t find one, there are DIY solutions available to replace them and still get your recipes ready in no time.
Here are five of the best substitutes for pastry cutters you can use:
1 – Forks
Using a fork to help with dough-based recipes is one of the most common approaches for substituting for a pastry cutter.
Forks come in varying lengths, so if you’re dealing with lots of dough or want to cut out a specific shape from the dough, that’s not going to be an issue.
When using a fork to substitute for a pastry cutter, use two forks at once and press them into the ingredients until the butter flattened into smaller beads.
It might take some practice before you get it right, but with proper technique this approach can work well for dough-heavy recipes like pies and quiches.
2 – Butter Knives
Butter Knives.
Butter knives are the sharpest of all regular kitchen knives and do a fairly good job at cutting pastry dough.
To use butter knives for cutting, use a sawing motion — gently pressing with one knife and pulling with the other — instead of the traditional downward chop.
With patience, butter knives make light work of most doughs.
It’s important to note that neither your kitchen nor your hands should be at risk if you choose butter knives as a substitute for a pastry cutter.
If you find that your knives are too sharp and make it difficult to handle or maneuver the dough safely, opt for an alternative rather than take any risks.
3 – Bench Scraper
A bench scraper is a multi-purpose tool designed to simplify food preparation, which looks very similar to a dough cutter.
It consists of a solidly constructed metal or plastic rectangle in various sizes with a handle on one end to provide maximum comfort when working with the tool.
Bench scrapers are extremely versatile and can be used in many different tasks.
You can use the bench scraper for huge batches of cake batter or for portioning cookie dough, as well as for measuring and dividing pastry dough, chopping vegetables, scraping down flat surfaces and much more.
This tool is quite effective at cutting floury pastries into equal parts while minimizing the amount of flour incorporated in the process.
The sturdy construction also allows you to bend it slightly so that you can easily scoop up the chopped pieces without damaging them or leaving any excess behind.
4 – Cheese Grater
For those of us who don’t have a pastry cutter, a cheese grater is the perfect substitute.
This utensil has medium-sized raised jagged edges that is ideal for cutting cold butter into flour.
Simply use the grater by pushing the butter across it with a grinding motion until the butter pieces are distributed evenly throughout the flour mixture.
Be sure to mix and check every few passes to be sure you don’t add too much butter as this may affect the texture of your pastry dish.
The cheese grater method works great for tart, biscuit and scone doughs as these recipes often require large chunks of cold butter being mixed in evenly.
5 – Your Hands
If you don’t have a pastry cutter on hand, your hands are the next best substitute (and if you knead your dough together enough and don’t press too hard, you may find that using your hands actually works better than a pastry cutter).
All it takes is a little bit of muscle and patience – here’s how you do it:
- Start by combining the butter and flour together with a fork until pea-sized crumbs form.
- Then use your hands to press the butter pieces further into an even flaky mix, using either your palms or fingers. You can use the warmth of your fingers to incorporate the butter easily into the flour without locking in too much heat; similar to how you would work with play-dough.
- Create small flaky pieces by pressing down slightly against the dough while pressing your hands together in rolling motion on top of it; this will help blend the ingredients quickly into one another while ensuring that there are no big chunks of butter left behind in the mix.
- The goal here is to eventually create a pile of fine powdery crumbs that are uniform in size but still tender; this will helps create a light and flaky crust when baking.
The 5 BEST Substitutes for Pastry Cutter
Ingredients
- Forks
- Butter Knives
- Bench Scraper
- Cheese Grater
- Your Hands
Instructions
- Choose your preferred substitute from the list of options.
- Organize all of your ingredients.
- Use the proper substitute to cook your recipes.
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