Pastry Types and Characteristics

Study Notes

Shortcrust Pastry: Choose a recipe and understand the steps. Gather equipment (large bowl, rolling pin, knife, spatula, plastic wrap).
Cold Temperatures: Keep everything cool. Run hands under cold water. If butter/lard warms, refrigerate. Use a cool surface (marble) dusted with flour for rolling. Work quickly.
Resting: Wrap dough in plastic or greaseproof paper and refrigerate for 15 minutes (minimum). This allows gluten to relax.
Hot Oven: Bake in a preheated, hot oven (425°F/220°C). Too cool an oven will cause the pastry to melt instead of cook.
Crisp Bottom: Place a heavy baking sheet in the oven while preheating to ensure a crisp crust.

Definition: A light, flaky pastry made with laminated dough. Layers of dough and butter are rolled and folded together.
Key Ingredients: Butter (essential for flavor and flaky layers). Flour (all-purpose or bread flour, higher protein content yields better gluten development and elasticity). Cold Water (ensures butter is incorporated properly, prevents over-warming during mixing). Salt (fine kosher salt is preferred).
Tools: Stand mixer (speeds up mixing and prevents overhandling), rolling pin (necessary for creating the butter blocks and evenly rolling dough during lamination), bench scraper.

Step 1: Combine flour, salt, and butter in a stand mixer.
Step 2: Mix on low, gradually add water until a shaggy dough forms. It should hold together.
Step 3: Shape and chill. Form into a rectangle, wrap, and refrigerate for 60 minutes.
Step 4: Make the butter block. Form a mound of butter, sprinkle with flour, and beat with a rolling pin until combined.
Step 5: Shape the block. Transfer to parchment paper, shape into a rectangle, fold over parchment, and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
Step 6: Roll out dough to a rectangle (12 x 10 inches).
Step 7: Butter block placement. Place butter block on one half of the rectangle, leaving a margin around the edges.
Step 8: Encase butter block. Fold top half of dough over the block and pinch edges. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Step 9: Roll out and fold the dough (repeat second and third fold). Refrigerating between folds is important.
Step 10 - 12: Repeat the rolling, folding, and refrigerating process twice more.
Final Step: The lamination process is now complete. Dough is ready for use.

Description: A pastry with a light, crisp outer shell and a creamy, custard-like inside.
Key factors for excellent results: Using correct temperatures (baking at different temperatures), correct dough consistency (not too wet/dry), and sufficient time to bake.

Poorly formed shell (flat/crackled): Too much moisture (wet dough), removing dough from the oven too early, or insufficient time spent baking at high temperature .
Soggy: Dough is too wet or underbaked. Flour lumps or improper mixing. Adding raw flour after eggs.

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