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PASTRY AND PASTRY PRODUCTS

Theory

7.1.16 T Specific Objectives

By the end of this sub-module unit, the trainee should be able to:
a) define terms
b) identify types of pastry and pastry products
c) describe the preparation and production of pastries and pastry products
d) describe the presentation of pastry products
e) Prepare, produce and present pastries and pastry products
f) outline qualities of pastries and pastry products
g) describe storage of pastry and pastry products.

Unit Tasks:

Task 1: Definition of terms

Pastry
A mixture of flour, fat, possibly egg and sugar, the fat usually dispersed as small solid globules coated with flour and the
whole brought together with liquid prior to shaping and baking. There are many types of pastry.

Pastry board
A square or oblong board preferably marble but usually wood on which pastry is rolled out.

Pastry brake
Opposed and contra-rotating rollers with a variable gap through which pastry can be worked and reduced in thickness
for commercial production. A very small version is used domestically for pasta production.

Pastry case
An uncooked or blind baked pastry container used to hold savory or sweet mixtures.

Pastry cream
Confectioner’s custard. An egg and flour thickened custard made with sweetened milk flavored with vanilla. Used as a
filling for flans, cakes, pastries, tarts, etc. The flour prevents the egg from curdling.

Pastry cutters
Various metal or plastic outlines of shapes, e.g. circles fluted circles, diamonds, ginger bread men, etc. Sharpened on
one edge and used to cut out corresponding shapes from biscuit, scone, pastry, or cakes mixtures.

Task 2: Types of pastry and pastry products

Pâte à choux is a light pastry dough used to make profiteroles, croquembouches, eclairs, French crullers, beignets. It
contains only butter, water, flour, and eggs. Its raising agent is the high moisture content, which creates steam during
cooking, puffing out the pastry.
Phyllo (filo) pastry
Phyllo pastries are usually paper-thin and greatly stretched. They involve several stretched out layers and are wrapped
around a filling and brushed with butter. These pastries are very delicate and can break easily.

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Phyllo dough is paper-thin sheets of raw, unleavened flour dough used for making pastries like samosa bags
In both sweetcrust and shortcrust pastry, care must be taken to ensure that fat and flour are blended thoroughly before
liquid is added - this ensures that the flour granules are adequately coated with fat and are less likely to develop gluten.
Overworking the dough is also a hazard. Overworking elongates the gluten strands, creating a product that is chewy, as
opposed to 'short', or light and crumbly.

Flaky (or rough puff) pastry

The flaky pastry is a simple pastry that expands when cooked due to amount of layers. These are perfect if you are
looking for a crisp, buttery pastry. The “puff” is obtained by beginning the baking process with a high temperature and
lowering the temperature to finish.
Flaky pastry is similar to puff pastry, the difference being that large lumps of shortening are mixed into the dough,
which is then rolled and folded in a similar manner.
The chunks of fat keep the rolled particles of dough separate from each other so that when the dough is baked, they
become flakes. This creates a different texture from puff pastry where rectangles of dough and fat are rolled and folded
in such a way that sheets of pastry in uniform layers result.

Puff pastry The puff pastry has many layers that cause it to expand or “puff” when being baked. Pastries are
made using flour, butter, salt, and water. It rises up due to the combination and reaction of the four ingredients and
also from the good amount of air that gets between the layers. Puff pastries come out of the oven light, flaky, and
tender.

Puff pastry is a light, flaky, unleavened pastry containing several layers of fat which is in solid state at 20°C (68°F).
Puff pastry can also be leavened with baker's yeast to create croissants or Danish pastry, though such doughs are not
universally known as puff pastries.
In addition, since the process of making puff pastry is generally somewhat laborious and quite time-intensive, faster
recipes (known as "blitz" or "rough puff") are fairly common. Many of these recipes combine the butter into the

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détrempe(mixture of flour and water) rather than adding it in the folding process and are thus similar to a folded
short crust.

Choux pastry
The choux pastry is a very light pastry that is filled with cream. The pastry is filled with various flavors of
cream and is often topped with chocolate. Choux pastries can also be filled with things like cheese, tuna, or
chicken to be used as appetizers.

Shortcrust pastry
The shortcrust, or short pastry is the simplest and most common pastry made. It is made with the ingredients of
flour, fat, salt, and water. The process of making pastry includes mixing of the fat and flour, adding water, and
rolling out the paste. It is cooked at 180°C and the result is a soft, tender pastry. A related type is the sweetened
sweet crust pastry.
It is based on a "half-fat-to-flour" ratio. Fat (lard, butter or full-fat margarine) is rubbed into plain flour to create
a loose mixture that is then bound using a small amount of ice water, rolled out, then shaped and placed to
create the top or bottom of a flan or pie.
Sweet crust pastry (sugar paste) is made with the addition of sugar, which sweetens the mix and impedes the
gluten strands, creating a pastry that breaks up easily in the mouth.

Task 3: Preparation and production of pastries and pastry products

• Short crust

This pastry is crispy, light and crumby

Basic recipe of short crust pastry
- ½ fat to flour (i.e. ratio of 0.5:1 fat to flour)
- ½ teaspoon of salt to each 200 gms of flour
- 2-5 tablespoons of water to each 400 gms of flour.

Method
- Sieve the flour and salt together
- Add the fat into lumps
- Cover the fat with flour before beginning to rub in
- Rub until there is no lump using finger tips to avoid melting fat and allowing aeration.
- Add water by sprinkling over the surface of the flour with a round ended knife until large
lumps are formed, - Draw together with the fingertips
- Knead on a board until the dough is smooth using fingertips
- Form into the required shape
- Roll out round the pastry so as to maintain the shape
- Place in the refrigerator or cool place

• Rough puff pastry

Ingredients
- flour
- teaspoon salt
- (butter/ margarine)
- fresh lemon juice

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- Cold water (ice water will make good pastry)
- fat

Method
- Soft the flour and salt into a mixing bowl
- Chop butter/margarine into small pieces
- Add fat into the flour and add lemon juice
- Add a little cold water
- Use pastry knife to mix lightly until dough becomes stiff
- Press the pastry gently but do not kneed it
- On the floured board roll the dough lengthwise longer that width.
- Fold into 3 layers
- Wrap the pastry in greaseproof paper and cool in the fridge for 45 minutes
- Remove from fridge and prepare pastry like croissants

• Puff pastry Ingredients

- Sifted flour - Sugar
- Salt - Salt
- Butter - Baking powder
- Iced water
- Lemon juice
Method
- Put sifted flour and salt in the mixing bowl and add small pieces of butter
- Use the rubbed in method of making pastry mixture
- Add iced water and lemon juice to make dough using pallet knife
- Knead the dough gently on a floured work surface (table, wooden kneading board)
- Make “flap” and roll then cut with a rolling pin
- Add more butter/ margarine and roll out again
- Cover in a cloth and leave in cool place for about 20 minutes
- Roll out 5 more times and fold
- Leave 30 minutes of chilling
- Shape and bake at 22°c

Flaky pastry

Sample recipe
Ingredients
- plain flour
- teaspoon salt
- butter
- fat
- teaspoon lemon juice
- Cold water (ice cold water will give better results)

Method
- Place butter and fat onto a plate and mix until soft
- Sift flour and salt into a large mixing bowl

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- Using rubbed in method mix the fat (butter fat) until the mixture form crumbs
- Add lemon juice and cold water
- Roll the pastry out to form a shape longer in length than width
- Fold the 1/3 of the dough and apply the remaining dots of fat
- Fold the other ½ cup of the dough without fat
- Finely fold the remaining dough part
- Gently press with the rolling pin down on the sides of the pastry
- Repeat folding and doting with fat and rolling
- Wrap with grease proof paper and cool in the fridge of 45 minutes

Choux pastry

Method
- Melt butter/margarine milk and water in a saucepan
- Heat rapidly so that in bubbles
- Remove from the heat add flour and salt and stir to combine
- Cool pastry and add beaten eggs gradually (step by step)
Transfer the mixture using piping bag with nozzle onto a greased baking tray oven

Task 4: Presentation of pastry products

• In a hotel setting pastry products are presented in different meal times
- For breakfast
- As puddings
- As snack
- As accompaniment

• Breakfast pastry
- Butter croissant – mandazi
- Filled croissant
- Muffins
- Samosa

• Pudding pastry
- Jam pancake
- Jam filled pastry
- Honey/sweet fillet

• Accompaniment Pastry
- Chapati
- Meat pie

Task 5: Prepare, produce and present pastry and pastry products

Suggested recipes
Meat pie, Sausage roll, Palmers, Cream buns, Éclairs, Cream horns, Jam turnovers.

Task 6: Qualities of pastries and pastry products

• They should be light golden brown
• They should cut easily with a fork and break readily when bitten

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• The flakes should be thin and the blisters plentiful
• It should be crisp and not soggy
• Should have an acceptable flavour

Task 7 Storage of pastry and pastry products

• Pastry products should be eaten same day it is cooked unless stored in the freezer.

EVALUATION
1differentaiate the following types of pastry
a) Puff and rough puff
b) Short and choux
2 explain rules to observe when preparing pastry
3 explain the role of the following ingredients in pastries
a) Fat
b) Flour
c) Liquid