Pastries

1. Pastries Chapter 29

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. Water… • Too much water • Pastry will be tough • Too little water • Pastry will be dry, crumbly, and difficult to roll

10. 2nd Principle: Mixing & Handling • Temperature of ingredients • Room temperature = more tender pastry • Overmixing the ingredients causes gluten to overdevelop & a tough pastry

11. 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

12. Rolling out the pastry dough… • Handle the pastry as little as possible to avoid toughening it • 6 steps in rolling pastry: • Gather dough into a firm ball • Flatten dough ball with palm of hand • Roll pastry from the center toward the edge • Roll gently until pastry is 1/8 inch thick & 1 inch larger than pie pan • Fold pastry into “fourths” • Unfold pastry into pie pan, pressing on the sides & bottom • Do not stretch the pastry because it will cause shrinking during baking

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. Convenience Pastries… • 4 forms of convenience pastries • Mixes • Frozen • Whole pies • Pie fillings • Canned • Pie filling & canned fruits • Custards • 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