Pies and Pastry

1. Pies and Pastry

2. Pies and Pastry • Pastry- dough used to make pie crust, tarts, and turnovers • Pastry is used in desserts, but main dishes as well • Pot pie • Can add flavoring to pastry • cheese

3. Pies • 4 Types • Fruit • Cream • Custard • Chiffon

4. Types of Pies • Fruit • Two crust • Solid top crust or lattice • Fruit filling from canned, frozen, dried, or fresh • Cream • One crust • Use cornstarch-thickened pudding to make the filling • Coconut, fruit, nuts • Often have meringue topping

5. Continued • Custard • One crust • Filled with custard made from milk, eggs, and sugar • Bake in pie crust or in separate pie plate • Slip cooled filling into crust • Pumpkin most popular • Chiffon • Light and airy • One crust • Filled with mixture containing gelatin and cooked beaten egg whites • Filling may contain whip cream • Chill until filling sets

6. Ingredients for Pastry • 4 basic ingredients • Flour, fat, salt, water • When combined correctly, pastry is tender and flaky • Flour give structure • Can use pastry or all purpose flour • Pastry has lower percentage of protein and uses a smaller amount of fat

7. Continued • Fat makes the pastry tender • Inhibits the development of gluten • Contributes to flakiness by separating layers of gluten • Lard and hydrogenated vegetable shortening produce most tender and flaky crust • Oil can be used, but will be mealy instead of flaky

8. Continued • Water provides moisture needed for development of gluten and production of steam • Small amounts needed • 1 cup flour = 2 Tbsp • Salt contributes flavor • If eliminated, will not affect the pastry except for flavor

9. Preparing Pastry • Use correct ingredients and measure accurately • Handle dough gently and as little as possible

10. Measuring Ingredients • Poor quality pastry will result if flour, fat, and liquid are not measured correctly • Gluten forms a framework when you moisten and stir the flour • Gluten holds air and steam during baking • Pastry needs the trapped air for flakiness • Correct amount of flour will produce enough gluten to hold the air and steam • Too much flour will make pastry tough

11. Continued • Fat forms a waterproof coating around the flour particles • Prevents too much water from coming in contact with the proteins in the flour • Prevents development of too much gluten • Layers of fat separate the layers of gluten • Too little fat produces a tough pastry • Too much fat produces a pastry that will be crumbly

12. Continued • Liquid hydrates the flour so gluten will develop • Produces the steam needed for flakiness • Correct amount of liquid will develop the correct amount of gluten • Too much liquid will make the pastry tough • Too little liquid will make it crumbly and difficult to roll

13. Handling the Dough • Handling causes gluten to develop • The more gluten that develops the tougher the pastry • Don’t over mix the dough when adding liquid • Don’t use a lot of speed or force when using the rolling pin • Don’t stretch the pastry when fitting it into a pie plate

14. Preparing Pastry • Biscuit method most popular: • Sift dry ingredients together • Cut in fat • Add liquid • Flute edges, bake, then fill • Prick bottom and sides of crust before baking, unless you are filling before baking

15. Characteristics of Pastry • Tender and flaky • Flakiness is determined by layers of gluten separated by layers of fat puffed up with steam • Tender: cuts easy with a fork, “melts in your mouth” when eaten • Flaky: see thin layers of dough separated by empty spaces when cut with a fork