Ingredients:
4 cups (500 grams) bread flour (see Notes)
1 teaspoon fine salt
9 tablespoons (127 grams) unsalted butter, preferably high-fat European style
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (118 grams) lard or shortening, see Notes
3/4 cup (180 milliliters) ice water
1 large egg
1 tbsp heavy cream, half and half, milk or water
Directions:
1. Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour with the salt. Add the butter and shortening or lard and, using your fingers, rub it into the flour until the mixture is crumbly, with varied size pieces of flour-covered fat the size of rice and small beans.
2. Add the water and mix with your hand until a wet, shaggy dough comes together, about 2 minutes, then knead in the bowl until it becomes elastic, 5 to 8 minutes. The dough will be very sticky, but as you knead, it will become smoother and pull little bits of dough from the sides of the bowl. This is an important step, as proper kneading will develop glutens, giving the pastry the strength needed to hold the filling and retain its shape.
3. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces between 150 and 160 grams each. Shape the dough into disks, wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.
4. Lightly flour your work surface and, working with one dough piece at a time, remove the dough from the plastic wrap. Lightly flour the dough and the rolling pin and roll out the dough into circles approximately 9 inches in diameter.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg with the cream, half-and-half, milk or water to form an egg wash.
6. Add a generous 3/4 cup (about 150 grams) of the filling on top half of each pastry circle, brush the border with the egg wash, then fold the pastry over the top and seal in a half-circle. Use your index finger and thumb to crimp and twist the edge, tucking the ends underneath. (You also can use a fork to crimp the edge.) Transfer the pasty to the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
7. Using a pastry brush, brush the pasties with the egg wash. Step 10 Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the pasties start to brown, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake for another 30 to 40 minutes or until the pasties are a rich golden brown. Remove from the oven, let cool for about 15 minutes and serve.