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Pastry Basics

March 1, 2007 |

Searching for information and ideas on making pastry? For Shortcrust Pastry, Suet Pastry, Rough Puff Pastry and Flaky Pastry there are a few basic rules to achieve successful pastry making: 

  • Keep pastry cool. 
  • Handle pastry lightly. 
  • Bake pastry at correct oven temperature for the recipe.

    •  

    Important Detailed Notes: 

    Quantities of pastry are usually expressed as quantity of flour used, for example  225 g (8oz) of Shortcrust Pastry is the amount of pastry made using 225 g (8oz) of flour and is not the total weight of the ingredients.

    The weight of the fats used should total half the weight of the flour.

    To help you produce the best results: 

  • Keep your hands cool - use a cool pastry board or worktop.
  • Use water as cold as possible .
  • Use the fingertips, as they are the coolest part of the hands.
  • Lift the flour well out of the bowl to incorporate as much air as possible when rubbing in the fat - try to incorporate as much cold air as possible so that in baking this air expands and produces light pastry. In Shortcrust Pastry this is done by rubbing in and light handling, and in Rough Puff and Flaky Pastry the air is incorporated by folding and rolling.
  • Always mix pastry ingredients with a round bladed knife.
  • Add water gradually, a little at a time, to achieve the correct consistency for each type of pastry.
  • Avoid adding more flour after the water is added.
  • Dust rolling pin with flour and work lightly to prevent sticking.
  • Roll out quickly, always rolling away from you and not from side to side.
  • Turn the pastry, not the rolling pin.
  • Avoid stretching the pastry as this causes shrinkage in baking.
  • Roll evenly and do not roll over the ends of the pastry.
  • Pies, tarts, pastries and turnovers should be brushed over with a suit-able glaze before baking.
  • Always bake in a hot oven and for rich pastry a very hot oven.

    • There are two additional types of pastry are made by completely different methods, these are Hot Water Crust Pastry and Choux Pastry. Methods for these will be covered in the appropriate recipe.


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