Basic Techniques

When it comes to rubbing in (that means rubbing fat into flour), the secret to a good crumb is making sure your ingredients are quite cold. Add the cubed butter to the flour mixture and then, using thumb and fingers, bring your hands slowly up through the mixture while continuously rubbing the butter through the flour. Use only a light touch, so as not to stress the flour and to persuade the butter to give in to the flour and then you are left with a light crumb. Think happy thoughts so you are only left with a happy cake, tart or crumble.