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PIES AND PASTRIES
PIE
A pie is made of bake or unbaked crust and a variety of fillings, cooked or
uncooked, sweet or savory. Crust can be unbaked using crushed crackers
held together by melted butter or they can be made from a mixture of flat,
flour and water then baked until crisp.
Many seasonal fruits go well with a pie crust. Mangoes, bananas,
pineapples, apples and buko are among the favorite fruit fillings for pie.
PASTRIES
are baked products made of crust and usually with filling inside or on top
of the crust. Pastries include pies, turnovers (empanada), tarts and special
puff pastry.
The term pastry comes from the word paste, meaning in this case, a mixture
of flour, liquid and fat.
In the bakeshop, pastry refers both to various pastes and doughs and to the
many products made from them.
KINDS OF PASTRIES
1. Barquette – a small boat-shaped pastry shell with sweet filling, an example
is the boat tart.
2. Hopia – a small round or oval pastry filled with sweetened ground mongo,
ube, etc. with pork fat.
3. Cream puff – a round shell of pastry filled with custard or sweetened
whipped cream.
4. Pie – fruit or meat baked with either one or two pastry crust.
The following are some examples of pie:
a. Cobler – deep dish pie with biscuit dough toppings.
b. Mincemeat pie – contains chopped apples, currants, raisins, spices, suet
and mutton or poultry.
c. Pizza – Italian pie with thin spread of tomato sauce with ham, cheese, etc.
d. Shepherd’s pie – meant pie covered with mash potatoes and baked until
golden brown.
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BASIC INGREDIENTS IN MAKING PASTRY CRUST
a. Flour
– The best flour for pastry is all purpose flour. A special pastry flour maybe
used if specialized in the recipe.
– As in all other bakery products, flour gives pastry crust the best
structure.
– Pastry flour is the best choice for pie dough. It has enough gluten to
produce the desired structure and flakiness, yet is low enough in gluten
to yield a tender product, if handled properly.
b. Shortening – it coats the particles of flour so water cannot penetrate them.
In this way gluten strands are shorter, thus producing a tender, flaky,
crumbly crust. Shortening must be chilled before it is used. Shortening may
be in a form of:
▪ Lard or pork fat, which gives the shortest crust.
▪ Butter which is best in flavor and flakiness and is used in puff pastry.
▪ Margarine, which gives a rich flavor.
▪ Vegetable shortening, which has no characteristic color or taste of its
own; or
▪ Vegetable oil, which is seldom used, because it does not produce a
flaky crust.
c. Salt – it accentuates the taste of other ingredients. Salt has some tenderizing
and conditioning effect on the gluten.
d. Liquid – water is the most commonly used liquid in pastry dough. Milk
cream, fruit juice or eggs are also used in special recipe. Cold water must be
used (except in strudel or choux pastry). Warm or lukewarm liquid soften
the shortening and result in a hard or brittle pastry. The amount of these
ingredients and the method of combining them result in the different type
of pastry crust.
TYPE OF PASTRY CRUST
The different types of pastry crust are:
1. Short Crust
– This is made from all-purpose flour and chilled shortening with water
and little salt. This is also the most frequently used pastry dough for
pies and tarts.
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– Is made by quickly mixing and kneading the flour with the shortening
and water. As little handling as possible is needed to avoid the
development of gluten.
– The dough is rolled and then fitted in to the pastry mold. It may or may
not be baked before being filled with a custard or fruit filling.
2. Rich Short Crust
– This is made from all-purpose flour, chilled shortening usually butter
or margarine, a pinch of salt plus sugar and eggs.
– This type of crust is prepared in the same way as the short crust. Sugar
adds flavor and gives the golden brown of the baked crust. The egg
makes the crust highly firmer than plain short crust. Different kinds of
felling are also suitable just like for short crust.
– This may also be baked and unbaked before being filled.
3. Puff Pastry
– This is made of many thin layers of dough or leaves of dough. The dough
consist of pastry flour, chilled butter, and cold water.
– To make the layers the dough is folded, rolled and then chilled, over and
over again which make the pastry puff. This pastry is always baked
before being filled; puff pastry is used for pies and tart but most
especially for fancy French pastry.
– This is difficult to prepare successfully and needs a lot of practice.
SPECIAL PASTRIES
1. Strudel
🢫 The making of strudel dough is entirely different from that of short crust.
The ingredients are bread flour, melted butter, eggs and warm water. The
butter and water should be warm not could, as in short crust
🢫 The dough is thoroughly kneaded, not handled quickly and gently. The
gluten has to be developed fully to produce a very elastic dough. The
dough is then rolled very thinly, the filling arranged in a row. The dough
is rolled over and over the filling until multiple layers over the filling.
🢫 An example of this is the Apple Strudel.
2. Choux Pastry
🢫 This is made of flour, butter, water, salt and a generous number of eggs.
🢫 As in strudel pastry, choux is made by heating the butter and water to a
boil. The flour and salt are added to the boiling mixture and beaten well
to give a hot paste.
🢫 The eggs are beaten into the hot paste to produce a soft light dough which
is then piped or spooned on a tray and baked.
🢫 Filling usually cream or custards, it is forced into the shell.
🢫 Examples of choux pastry are Cream Puffs and Eclairs.
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3. Graham Cracker Crust
🢫 This is made of crushed Graham crackers, melted butter and sugar.
🢫 These are mixed thoroughly and pressed on the sides and bottom of a pie
pan.
🢫 This crust may or may not be baked first before filling, depending on the
kind of filling used.
PROPER TECHNIQUES IN MAKING PIE CRUST
For a Single Pie Crust:
a. Measure 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon salt into a large
bowl, big enough to blend everything thoroughly.
b. Cut 1/2 cup shortening in small pieces and add to the dry ingredients.
c. Cut in the shortening into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two
knives using a crisscross movement. The mixture should be lumpy, about
the size of peas.
d. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cold water, a little at a time, over the mixture. Blend lightly
with a fork.
e. Lightly press the dough together and form into a ball. Place the dough in a
plastic bag and chill for about 15 minutes.
f. Sprinkle the table and rolling pin with flour. Flatten the dough to a semi-
flat round, and then roll it from center out, all around.
g. Transfer the dough to a pie pan, place the rolling pin gently on the dough at
one side. Roll the dough up onto the pin. Then position the rolling pin over
one side of the pan and unroll the dough over it. The dough should fit snugly.
h. Baking time for a single pie crust is 5 minutes for unbaked crust and 10 to
12 minutes for baked.
For a Double Pie Crust:
a. Measure 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 3/4 cup shortening
and 1/3 cup cold water. Follow steps 2 and 6 for making single-pie
measurements.
b. Divide the dough into two. Roll out one dough and fit snugly on a pie pan.
Prick sides and bottom with tines of fork.
c. Put filling into the pie crust. Roll out the other dough and unroll on the
filled pie. Cut the edge of top dough 1/2 in. wider than the bottom crust.
Finish off edges of crusts.
d. Baking time for uncooked filling is 30 to 35 minutes or until crust is golden
brown for cooked filling, both 350℉.
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INGREDIENTS SINGLE CRUST DOUBLE CRUST
Flour 2C 3C
Salt 1 tsp. 1 ½ tsp.
Shortening 1/2 C 3/4 C
Cold Water 1/4 C 1/3 C
PIE DOUGH TYPES
1. Flaky Pie Dough
🠶 For flaky dough, the fat is cut or rubbed into the flour until the particles
of shortening are about the size of peas or hazelnuts-that is, the flour is
not completely blended with the fat, and the fat is left in pieces. (Many
bakers distinguish between this crust, which they call short-flake and
long-flake crust, in which the fat is left in pieces the size of walnuts and
the flour is coated even less with shortening. Blitz puff paste, introduced
in the next section, is actually a long-flake pie dough that is rolled and
folded like puff paste.)
🠶 When water is added, the flour absorbs it and develops some gluten. When
the dough is rolled out, the lumps of fat and moistened flour are flattened
and become flakes of dough separated by layers of fat.
2. Mealy Pie Dough
🠶 For mealy dough, the fat is blended into the flour more thoroughly, until
the mixture looks like course cornmeal. The more complete coating of the
flour with fat has several result:
The crust is very short and tender because less gluten can develop.
Less water is needed in the mix because the flour won’t absorb as
much as in flaky dough.
The baked dough is less likely to absorb moisture from the filling
and become soggy.
🠶 Mealy dough is used for bottom crust, especially in baked fruit pies and
soft or custard type pies, because it resists sogginess. Flaky dough are
used for top crusts and sometimes for prebaked shells.
🠶 The formula called Enriched Pie Pastry included in this section is
essentially a mealy dough.
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METHODS OF FINISHING PIE CRUST
1. Fluting – Pinch the edges of the dough
together along the rim of the pan, making
little folds or pleats at regular intervals. Or
with the dull edge of a knife, make several
indentations around the rim to make a
scalloped edge.
2. Crimping – Make an edge around the crust
by pressing with the tines of a fork.
3. Making a Lattice – Roll out reserved dough.
Cut into 1/2in. wide strips. Put strips across the
filling in a simple lattice pattern or weave strips for
a basket effect. Trim off excess strips and moisten
ends with water to stick them together. Brush
lattice with beaten egg yolk-water/milk mixture for
a golden brown color.
4. Designing the Top Crust – Gather the scrap
dough and form flowers, leaves, etc. to decorate top
crust. With the aid of a small knife, other designs
can be etched on the crust. Be sure you do not slice
through the crust as the moisture in the filling
might all escape.
FILLINGS
Although the crust of pie is the secret to a successful pie, the filling is also
important, for it gives the pie flavor. The filling must be complementary to
the crust. It should not be stiff, watery or gummy. The flavor if fruit should
be dominant, without being overpowering. The filling must be free from
foreign flavors and off-tastes.
KINDS OF FILLINGS
1. Fruit Filling consist of fruit, fruit juices, water, sugar, spices and starch
thickener.
Fresh Fruit – This gives top quality products but it requires a lot of labor
and is dependent on the season.
Frozen Fruit – This is consistent in quality and always available. This kind
should be defrosted in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days before using and
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then heated to 185℉ 𝑡𝑜 195℉ . The juice is drained after and then the
filling can be made.
Canned Fruit – Make sure that you do not mistake the net weight (which
is the fruit + syrup weight) with the weight of the fruit itself. Drain the
fruit completely then weigh to get the exact weight of the fruit.
Dried Fruit – This kind of fruit has to be rehydrated by allowing it to soak
in simmering water for a few minutes before using a filling.
2. Custard or Soft Filling
Soft fillings contain eggs and starch. This filling with uncooked liquid, is
poured onto an unbaked pie shell. The eggs in the mixture bind the
ingredients together during the baking, and this sets the filling.
3. Cream Pie Filling
This is the same as the puddings and pastry cream. Their only difference
is that cream fillings are made with cornstarch while the pastry cream can
be made with flour or any other starch.
4. Chiffon Pie Filling
This has a light and fluffy texture. This is made up of beaten egg whites
and sometimes, whipped cream. Egg whites and cream are folded together
then folded into a fruit or cream based or stabilizes gelatin. The gelatin
stabilizes the filling when the pie is sliced.
GUIDELINES TO BE CONSIDERED IN PASTRY MAKING
Important Guidelines in Pastry Making:
a. Keep the ingredients in the conditions asked for the recipe. Some dough’s
require “chilled” shortening and “iced” water; some require “warm and
melted” “butter and lukewarm” water.
b. The additions of liquids is the most critical steps in mixing pie crust.
Sprinkle cold water a little at a time over the flour shortening mixture. Too
much liquid will make the dough sticky and gluten will easily develop.
c. Avoid using too much flour on the table or to the rolling pin. It will harden
the dough. A rolling pin cover is best as it maximizes the used of flour.
d. Chilling the dough before rolling relaxes the gluten, thus making the dough
elastic, softer and easier to roll out.
e. Preparation of pie crust requires minimal handling while that of strudel
crust requires an extensive kneading and stretching.
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f. To prevent a soggy bottom crust, as in egg pie, first prick the crust all over.
Brush crust with one egg white lightly beaten with one teaspoon cold water.
Chill for 30 minutes then bake at 450℉ for 5 minutes. Let cool then pour
filling and bake according to recipe procedure.
g. For baked pie crust to be filled: follow step (f) but chill crust longer before
baking. Cool before adding the filling.
h. Never pour a hot filling into a hot or cold pie crust. Both must be cool.
i. For double pie crust, slit the top crust to allow steam to escape.
j. Finish edges of double pie crust and turn-over. Edging does not only make
the pie look neat and attractive, but it also seals together the top and bottom
crusts. This prevents the filling from oozing out.
PASTRY DEFECTS AND THEIR CAUSES
1. Tough Pastry – used of too much water, insufficient shortening.
2. Crumbly and Mealy Pastry – used of oil or soft melted fat; used of too
much fat, under mixing and used of too little water.
3. Deformed Shrunken Crust – wrong proportion of ingredients, over
handling of pastry as it was being fitted into the pan, stretching of dough
in pan, used of old dough, uneven thickness when rolled and too low
oven temperature.
4. Blisters on Crust – pastry fitted too tightly in pan, inadequate pricking
and too low oven temperature.
5. Pale Crust – under baking; overmixing; used of too little fat; used of too
much water; used of too much flour on board and too low oven
temperature.
6. Soggy Lower Crust – over handling of pastry; used of too much fillings;
too much moisture in filling; pie placed in too high and too low oven
temperature.
7. Poor Flavor – used of wrong ingredients and poor quality ingredients.
