Pastries

Chapter 29
Kinds of Pastry

What is pastry?
A large variety of baked crusts made from doughs
rich in fat

5 examples of pastry
Cream puffs
Puff pastry
Danish & French pastries
Rich yeast & cake-type sweet rolls
Pies
The Main Types of Pastry…
2 main types of pastry
Plain Pastry
Golden-brown flaky
(blistered) surface
Tender
Usually used for pies
Puff Pastry
Extra rich
Extra flaky
Used for special pies or fancy tarts
Ingredients for good pastry…

All-purpose flour
A firm “fat”
Usually vegetable shortening or lard
A small amount of water
2 Tbsp. for each 1 cup of flour
Salt
Ingredients for good pastry…
Purpose of flour in a recipe?
Gluten of the flour forms the structure of
the pastry
Which fats are used to make pastry?
Vegetable shortening or lard
Why wouldn’t you use butter or
margarine?
They produce a less tender pastry
Lard produces the most tender pastry
Oil makes a mealy pastry
Ingredients for good pastry…

Purpose of water in pastry

Provides moisture needed to develop
gluten
Purpose of salt in pastry
Contributes to the flavor of pastry
Has no influence on flakiness or
tenderness
1st Principle: Gluten Formation
The gluten in the flour forms a structure in
which entrapped air and moisture expand
during baking, giving a blistered effect that
is characteristic of flaky pastry.

Too much flour will produce a tough pastry

Purpose of fat in a pastry…
Fat...
coats the particles of flour
Separates the gluten strands
“Shortens” (makes tender) the pastry
Too much shortening
Fragile & crumbly pastry
Too little shortening
Tough pastry
Water…
Too much water
Pastry will be tough
Too little water
Pastry will be dry, crumbly, and difficult to roll
2nd Principle: Mixing & Handling
Temperature of ingredients
Room temperature = more tender pastry
Overmixing the ingredients causes
gluten to overdevelop & a tough
pastry
3 Methods used to combine pastry
ingredients…
Conventional
Combine flour & salt
Cut fat into flour mixture with pastry blender
until shortening is the size of small peas
Sprinkle water, 1 Tbsp. at a time over flour
mixture
Mix lightly with a fork and form a loose ball
Hot-water
Oil
Rolling out the pastry dough…
Handle the pastry as little as possible
to avoid toughening it
6 steps in rolling pastry:
1. Gather dough into a firm ball
2. Flatten dough ball with palm of hand
3. Roll pastry from the center toward the edge
4. Roll gently until pastry is 1/8 inch thick & 1 inch
larger than pie pan
5. Fold pastry into “fourths”
6. Unfold pastry into pie pan, pressing on the sides &
bottom
Do not stretch the pastry because it
will cause shrinking during baking
Pie Crusts…
Flute: Pinching the edge of the pastry with your
fingertips to retain filling and create an attractive edge.
Hook the points of the fluted edges under the pan rim
to minimize shrinking during baking.
Prick the bottom & sides of the pastry used for a
single-shell pie before baking
Prevents puffing during baking

Slit the top of a two-crust pie to allow steam to escape

during baking
Cover the fluted edge with a 1½-inch strip of foil to
prevent overbrowning
3rd Principle: Baking Pastry
If only 1 rack is needed to bake a pie, place it
in the center of the oven
If 2 racks are needed to bake pies
Arrange racks evenly in the oven
Arrange the pans to allow the heat to circulate
Good pastry
Evenly browned
Blistered surface
Crisp & tender
Ways to Use Pastry…
Dessert
Fruit Pie
Custard Pie
Tart
Accompaniment
Pastry cut into strips or
fancy shapes
To garnish salads or soups
Main Dish
Quiche
Chicken Pot Pie
Nutrients & Storage…
Nutrients
All pastries contain a high
proportion of fat
Contribute energy &
calories to the diet
Storage
Store unused chiffon,
custard, & meat pies in
the fridge
Both baked & unbaked
pies can be frozen
Wrap them in freezer wrap
or put in freezer bags
Convenience Pastries…
4 forms of convenience pastries
1. Mixes
2. Frozen
Whole pies
Pie fillings
3. Canned
Pie filling & canned fruits
Custards
4. Ready-to-eat
You can create homemade pastry mix
Combine the correct proportions of flour, salt,
& shortening
Store in an airtight container
Add water when you are ready to bake a pie