Pastries

Pastries and Pies

 Pie Dough
• Pie dough refers to a mixture of flour, liquid and fat. It is
characterized by its tenderness, flakiness, crispiness and lightly
golden brown
• The success or failure depends on how the shortening and flour
are mixed and how the gluten is developed

Ingredients
• Flour
Pastry flour is the best choice for pie dough. It has enough gluten to
produce the desired structure and tenderness, yet low enough to yield
a tender product
• Fat
Butter contributes excellent flavour to pie pastry, but because it is
expensive and easily melt, it is hard to work with. Vegetable
shortening is widely used in pastry making due to its plasticity and
high melting point
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• Liquid
Water is necessary to develop some gluten in the flour and give structure
and flakiness to the dough
Too much water, the crust will be tough because too much gluten has been
developed
Milk makes richer dough but make pie crust browns more quickly and less
crisp
All liquid must be cold to maintain proper dough temperature

• Salt
Added for flavour and conditioning effect on the gluten. It must
be dissolve in the water to ensure even distribution

Temperature
Pie dough should be kept cool during mixing and makeup. In warm
temperature, the shortening blends too quickly with the flour and if its too
cold, it will be too firm to work with. Besides, gluten works slowly at lower
temperature

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There are 6 ways to ensure a tender flaky pastry
crust:
1. Use a solid cold fat
Butter is the choice of fat in pastry crust despite its low melting
point; hence the need for cool temperature when doing pastry.
Combination of vegetable shortening and butter provide flavour and
flakiness
2. Use low protein flour
Soft flour or cake flour which contains fewer proteins develop less
gluten
3. Add an acid
Adding small amount of acid helps to break down and denature the
flour protein thus preventing gluten from forming

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4. Avoid using too much water
Most common mistake is adding too much water to the
seemingly dry pastry. Gluten strands do not develop until the
proteins in the flour come into contact with water. Less water
added resulted in more tender crust. Using icy cold water
prevent the fat from warming up and melting into the dough
before baking
5. Do not overmix
Any type of mixing encourage gluten to develop. Do not
knead the dough. Instead push the dough against the side of the
dough until it comes together and gather into a ball

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6. Allow dough to relax
Resting the dough relaxes the gluten strands, allowing the
dough to be more easily rolled out and shaped with less
shrinkage.
When gluten has overdeveloped, rolling out the dough become a
difficult task as the more you stretch the dough, the more it
resists and shrink back
Resting also allows fat in dough to firm up, preventing from
melting into the dough
If the dough become overworked, wrap in plastic wrap and
allowed it to rest in the chiller for 30 minutes or more

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 Blind Baking
• When a tart shell is baked with nothing in it, it is called blind baking. It
is important to prevent sides of crust from shrinking down and the
bottom part of crust from puffing up during blind baking
• In unbaked pies, the pastry shell must be prebaked before it can be
filled because the filling does not required further cooking. After the
tart shell is cooled, it can be filled with custard, whipped cream,
mousse or sliced fruits. Blind baking prevent from soggy bottom of the
crust

How to do it?
• Bottom of unbaked tart shell is poke using fork to create hole to allow
steam to escape preventing crust from puffing up and minimize
shrinkage
• Cover the tart shell with parchment paper
• Pour beans or rice on the parchment paper as weight to prevent crust
from puffing up

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 Types of Pastries

• Basically there are 2 groups of pastries (nonlaminated and

laminated pastries)
Types of Non-laminated Pastry
• Mealy pie dough
• Flaky pie dough
• Sweet dough pastry
• Choux pastry
• Hot water Crust pastry

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Types of Laminated Pastries:
• Puff pastry
• Quick (Blitz) pastry
• Croissant Pastry
• Danish Pastry
• Phyllo Pastry

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 Non-laminated Pastry
• There are 2 basic types of pie dough namely flaky pie
dough and mealy pie dough. Flaky(fat+flour) Mealy
(fat+flour)

• Mealy pie dough

• Also known as shortcrust dough, it is used for
pie crusts, tarts, quiche base and tartlets
• It contains flour, salt, butter and ice water
• It has more compact and crumbly texture because
the fat is thoroughly blended into flour, creating a mealy texture
• Chilled fat cut into smaller pieces is cut into and rubbed into flour. Each
grain of flour becomes entirely coated with fat, greatly reducing gluten
formation
• Less water is needed because the fat-covered flour particles become less
able to absorb it. This create very tender crust because less gluten is
develop
• The dough is then chilled to relax the gluten before it is rolled out with a
minimum strokes into a circular shape to fit into a pie pan
• The pies are defined by their fillings either sweet or savoury

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• Flaky pie dough
• The fat is cut or rubbed into the flour until the particles of shortening
about the size of peas or hazelnuts – that is flour is not completely
blended with the fat, and fat is left in pieces
• When water is added, the flour absorbs it and develops some gluten
• When dough is rolled out, the lumps of fat and moistened flour are
flattened and become flakes of dough separated by layers of fat

Pies
• Two types:
a) Baked Pies
Raw pie shells are filled and then baked. Fruit pies contain fruit fillings and usually
have a top crust. Soft pies are those with custard fillings…the liquid fillings
become firm when the egg in the custard coagulates
b) Unbaked Pies
Pie shell that has been baked blind, filled with prepared filling, chilled and served
when the filling is already set/ firm enough to slice. Cream pies are made with
boiled custard-type fillings

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 Mealy Pie Dough: Method of preparation

aa b b c
c

a. Cut the fat into small cube and combine together with flour
b. Mix lightly until it formed breadcrumb-like texture, then added with icy
cold water. Clump the dough together until it formed a ball, to prevent
overmixing
c. Dough formed into round shape and cover with plastic wrap to allow it
to rest before use. Use short strokes when rolling out shortcrust dough

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d e f

d. Correct technique of unrolling the pie crust from the rolling pin
e. Flute the crust by pressing a finger into the rim of the crust
against two fingers on the other side to make an even
impression
f. Blind bake the crust using beans or rice as weight to prevent the
pastry from puffing up

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 Formula comparison among basic pie dough (mealy & flaky
pie dough) and enriched pie pastry using rubbing-in method

Flaky pie dough Mealy pie dough Enriched pie pastry

Ingredient Amount Bakers’ % Amount Bakers’ % Amount Bakers’ %
s
Pastry 500g 100% 500g 100% 375g 100%
flour
Shortenin 350g 70% 325g 65% 188g 50%
g
(preferabl
y butter)
Water 150g 30% 125g 25% 94g 25%
(cold)
Salt 10g 2% 10g 2% 4g 1%
Sugar 25g 5% 25g 5% 62g 17%
(optional) (optional)
Egg yolks - - - - 30g 8%

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 Comparing mixing methods among basic pie dough (mealy & flaky
pie dough) and enriched pie pastry using rubbing-in method

Mixing method for basic pie Mixing method for enriched pie
dough (both mealy & flaky pastry using rubbing-in method
doughs)
1. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Add
the shortening.
This pastry is mixed somewhat like mealy pie
2. Rub or cut the shortening into the flour
to the proper degree: For flaky dough, dough, except the quantity of sugar is too
until fat particles are the size of peas or large to dissolve easily in the water.
hazelnuts. 1.Sift the flour and sugar into a mixing bowl.
3. For mealy dough, until mixture
2.Add the butter and rub it in until it is well
resembles cornmeal. combined and no lumps remain.
3.Beat the egg yolks with the water and salt
4. Dissolve salt and sugar (if used) in
until the salt is dissolved.
water.
4.Add the liquid to the flour mixture. Mix
5. Add the water to the flour mixture. Mix
gently until it is completely absorbed.
very gently, just until the water is
5.Place the dough in pans, cover with plastic
absorbed. Do not overwork the dough.
film, and place in refrigerator at least 4 hours.
6. Place the dough in pans, cover with (Alternatively, if the sizes you need are
plastic film, and place in the refrigerator
known in advance, scale the dough, form into
or retarder for at least 4 hours.
discs, wrap separately, and refrigerate.)
7. Scale portions of dough as needed. 6.Scale portions as needed.

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• Sweet Dough Pastry
• Methods of preparation involves creaming of sugar with fat. These 2
ingredients act as tenderizers, interfering with the gluten network
creating a tender, not flaky pastry. This method is also used in
cakes and cookies
• Since it resembles a sugar cookie dough, which is sweeter and
have more crumbly texture, it is fragile and dificult to handle than
mealy pie dough or flaky pie dough
• Tartlets and some crisp cookies (ginger snaps) are made with short
or sweet dough

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 Sweet dough pastry formula and mixing method

Ingredie Amount Bakers’ Mixing method using

nts percentage creaming method
Pastry 160g 100% 1. Using the paddle attachment of a
flour or
stand mixer, cream/beat the butter,
cake
flour castor sugar and salt at low speed
until smooth and evenly blended.
Milk 28g 15% 2. Add the eggs and mix just until
powder absorbed.
3. Sift the flour and pour it into the
Butter 125g 67% mixture, increase the speed to high
and mix very briefly –for several
Castor 54g 25%
sugar seconds (make sure not to over
mix).
Salt 1.2g 0.5% 4. Chill for ½ hour before use. By using
a pastry brush, grease the tartlet
Eggs 42g 19%
mould with the margarine.
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 Fillings for Pie

Using starches for fillings

• Most pie require thickeners of some sort. The 2 most important
thickeners are starches and eggs
• Cornstarch – used for cream pies because it sets up into firm gel
that hold its shape when sliced
• Waxy maize/ modified starches – used in fruit pies because they are
clear when set and make a soft paste rather than a firm gel
• Flour, tapioca, potato starch, rice starch – used less frequently
because it makes fruit fillings cloudy
• Instant or pregelatinized starch – needs no cooking, it eliminates the
need to cook the filling. However, cornstarch tends to settle out
before gelatinizing creating a dense starchy layer on the bottom and
improperly thickened filling on top

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Cooking Starches
• Starches must be mixed with cold water before use to avoid lumps
• Adding sugar or strong acids such as lemon juice reduce the
thickening power of starch
• Starch must be cooked until it gelatinzed and turn shiny to prevent
taste of uncooked flour

Fruit Fillings
• Consist of solid fruit pieces bound together by a gel which may
contain fruit juice, water, sugar, spice and a starch thickener
• Fruits for pie fillings:
a) Fresh Fruits - use fruits at their seasonal peak
b) Frozen Fruits - consistent in quality and readily available
c) Canned Fruits - Solid pack, Heavy pack, Water pack and Syrup pack
d) Dried fruits - must be rehydrated by soaking and sometimes require
simmering

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• Cooked Juice Method
Only the juice is cooked, therefore the fruits retains better shape and
flavour because it is subjected to less heat and handling. Most canned
and frozen fruits are prepared this way

• Cooked Fruit Method

Used when the fruit requires cooking or when there is not enough liquid
for the cooked juice method. Most dried fruits (raisins, apricots) are
prepared this way. Canned fruits should not be cooked or they will turn
mushy

• Old Fashioned Method

Commonly used to make apple pie but have two disadvantages:
a) Thickening of juice difficult to control
b) Need to pile high amount of fruit filling to prevent shrinkage in the
center of pie

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• Choux Pastry
• The dough to make choux pastry is called pate a choux
• Texture of dough is more like a thick paste than a dough. Most
common pastries made from this dough include dream puffs,
eclairs, swan and profiteroles
• Thick fluid paste cannot be folded so it is poured or piped into
baking sheets that are placed in a hot oven
• Unlike puff pastry that uses fat to “puff” up the volume, this type of
pastry relies on its high water content (from eggs and water) to act
as leavening agent to steam up and push the pastry to form into
either oblong (for eclairs) or round shape (for cream puffs)
• The dough can also be piped into hot oil and deep fried
• Typical éclair paste always includes liquid such as milk or water, fat
such as butter, flour, eggs and a little salt

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 Choux Paste: Method of preparation

a. Boiling of water, fat, sugar and salt b. Adding flour to boil mixture c. Paste is cooked until it gelatinzed

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d. Adding eggs one at a time e. Pipe the paste on the baking tray f.The hollow center of choux paste
• Liquid like water is brought to a rolling boil with butter, salt and sugar
• Then flour is stirred in quickly, causing the starches in flour to swell
and absorb all of the liquid all at once
• The paste is further cooked until the it is gelatinized (it formed into a
smooth ball of dough and no longer sticks on the sides of pan)
• The paste is cooled before adding eggs. Eggs function is to hold the
choux paste shape and as leavening agent
• If too many eggs are added, the paste will become to thin and will
not hold its shape
• Between the eggs and the higher protein content in the bread flour, a
firmer structure will be formed
• Steam expands the puffs while egg protein sets the structure
• Steam begin to form and puts pressure on the proteins to expand
and eventually break apart, leaving a hollow space within the puff
• The proteins at this point have cooked enough so the structure of the
puff is set and does not collapse

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• The hollow center is filled with filling, normally vanilla custard cream
or flavoured with chocolate

Chocolate Eclairs Cream Puffs

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• Hot water crust pastry
• Used as base for local karipap and potpies filled with meat, beans or
vegetables
• Less flaky consistency since fat is melted in boiling water and
poured into flour to create a mixture that is kneaded into a dough
• To make karipap, the dough is then rolled out and cut into round
shape. Put the filling in the center and fold into half and seal the side

• Phyllo pastry
• Tissue thin sheets of dough that are made from flour, water and
small amount of oil. Numerous sheets are brushed with butter
between layers that can be rolled or folded
• Example: Baklava (using honey and nuts as filling)

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 Laminated Pastry
• Laminated Pastry – arrangement of alternating layers of fat and flour
in rolled pastry dough. During baking, the fat melts and leaves
empty spaces for steam to lift the layers of flour resulting in a flaky
pastry
• All laminated doughs involve three steps:
1. Preparing a flaky pie dough or known as détrempe
2. Enclosing fat inside the dough
3. Folding and layering

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 Solid fats and Plasticity
• Ideally shortening is used as fat to be enclosed into the base dough
• If the fat is too soft, it can ooze out of the dough or the dough will absorb it
and prevent any layering from occurring
• Solid vegetable shortening, margarine and other special shortening tend
to be used instead of butter because:
1. Easily molded or shaped
2. Higher melting point than butter
3. Do not get as hard when refrigerated

• Fats with highest plasticity are shortenings. They remain flexible, soft and
workable over wider range of temperature
• Butter contributes the best flavour, does not leave greasy film on the
tongue but hard to work with in warm temperature due to low melting point

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 Folding and Layering
• To create layers, the dough is repeatedly rolled out and folded in a
specific way
• The sequence of rolling out dough and folding is known as a turn
• However, enclosing the fat into base dough is not counted as a turn
• Two types of folding:
a) Three-fold or Letter fold:
- Dough is rolled out into a rectangle and
folded like a letter into thirds
b) Four-fold or Book fold:
- Dough is rolled out into a rectangle
with shorter two ends folded in, to meet
each other in the middle, then brought
together in the middle to close like a book

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Tips for Successful Laminated Pastries

Base dough
• Use a small amount of acid (lemon juice) to denature some of the
protein in the flour, hence relaxing the gluten and reducing
shrinkage during rolling out
• Avoid overworking the dough to prevent too much gluten from
forming
Enclosing fat

• Keep the fat and dough the same temperature and consistency
• Place the fat between two pieces of plastic sheet and rolled it using
a rolling pin to give even rectangular shape

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 Folding and Layering

• Keep work surface lightly floured

• Roll the dough in one direction for each turn to maintain rectangular
shape
• Keep edges of the dough straight
• If fat become exposed during rolling out, sprinkle flour on top of it
and continue rolling
• Be sure to brush excess flour off the dough using pastry brush
• After each turn, be sure to seal the edges of the dough to keep
layers intact
• Wrap the dough after each turn using plastic wrap, and chill to rest.
Using marker pen, write the number of turn on the plastic wrap
• After the required turns, chill the dough overnite to relax the gluten
and facilitates rolling out process before shaping

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• Puff Pastry
• Puff pastry or flaky pastry differ from non-laminated pastries in that they
are very light, airy and flaky
• The dough contains no yeast or chemical leaveners, but can increase up
to 8 times its original size
• This increase in size is due to leavening resulting from the moisture and
air expanding in the heat of a hot oven
• Unique flakiness is also achieved through a laminated dough obtained by
folding fat into the dough
• Laminating is a series of folding, rolling and turning that can create up to
1,000 alternating layers of fat and non-yeast dough
• The necessity of folding many layers together make puff pastry very time
consuming
• In typical flaky dough, the fat is blended only until it breaks up into pea-
sized pieces. The larger fat pieces act as spacers separating the layers
during baking
• As flaky dough is rolled out, pieces of fat can be easily seen interspersed
within the dough

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 Puff Pastry: Method of preparation

a b c

a) Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and use a rolling pin
to flatten the dough into a rectangular
b) Divide the dough into 3, and place the shortening 2/3 part of of dough. Fold the
dough using book fold method. Let rest for 5 minutes
c) At this point, it is time to begin the “turning” phase. Roll out the dough using a
rolling pin, forming an ½-inch thick rectangle. Turn the sheet of dough 90°, so that
the long side is closest to you. Fold in both sides. You have just “turned” the
dough once.
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 d e
d) Repeat step c and d, that way the dough will have been “turned” twice.
e) Place the dough in the fridge and let rest for 10 minutes. Then, repeat step
d. Place the dough back in the fridge for 10 minutes. Then, repeat step d.
Now the pastry dough is ready to be used. Remember to wait about 10
minutes after you have rolled it out and before baking.
Puff pastry dough can be frozen and kept in the freezer for a month. Defrost
before use.

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• Croissant pastry
• Croissant base dough is less rich than a Danish dough in that it
contains yeast, some milk, little sugar and no eggs
• The laminated yeast dough is shaped into crescent shape

• Danish Pastry
• Danish dough tend to have the richest base dough because of the
addition of eggs, milk and sugar besides yeast
• Fillings such as jam, custard and slices of fruits (peaches,
strawberries, blueberries) often placed in the center of the pastry
and usually glazed or dusted with icing sugar

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Shaping Croissant

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Various types of Danish pastries

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