Handle Pastry

Good pastry requires good handling and knowledge of some basic but crucial facts about pastry. This article will help you to better understand why recipes ask you to handle pastry in certain ways.

Steps

  1. Handle pastry as little as possible. The more that pastry is handled, the tougher it becomes. Ideally, pastry should be handled quickly and lightly, to avoid toughening, drying out and hardening. The more pastry is handled, the less malleable and responsive it becomes, making it hard to roll and more likely to break when stretched.
  2. Keep pastry cool with cool hands. When handling, the the introduction of heat from your hands is a major reason for it toughening - hence the need for quick handling. Hot hands also transfer oil.[1] It is also best to use pastry in a cool kitchen; this may mean making the pie first, before the kitchen heats up from other cooking or even the sunshine. Remember the adage - "cool in the making and hot in the baking."
  3. Keep the fat cool. Whether you are using butter, or some other form of shortening, keep it cool before making the pastry. BBC Food suggests removing it from the refrigerator about one hour before using, so that it is not too soft nor too hard to use.[1]
  4. Go easy on the fat. Follow the instructions of the recipe and don't be tempted to overdo the shortening. Too much fat in the pastry can compete with the filling and overwhelm the flavour or make the dish too rich.[2]
  5. Keep the liquid at a minimum. It is always best to add too little liquid and adjust than to have soggy pastry from too much. Just enough milk, water, etc. should be added to allow the pastry to stick together. Otherwise, you risk either soggy pastry, or pastry that shrinks during cooking.
  6. Set aside standing or resting time for pastry. It isn't a good idea to make the pastry and attempt to use it straight away. You can if you are really in a hurry but you will find that the pastry is harder to roll and that pastry that it produces better results if allowed to stand for a short time. About 20 minutes is the recommended time for standing.[1] The reason behind this is that the gluten in the flour is given an opportunity to practice its elasticity magic, making the dough much easier to roll.[3]
  7. Learn some rolling techniques. Many of us are guilty of stretching the pastry instead of rolling a little bit more. Don't be tempted again - the pastry will reward you by shrinking back during cooking. Instead, roll it the width required. When rolling, always roll to the edge of the pastry from the centre. And don't roll over the edge.
  8. Add light glazes. If your recipe requests a glaze, keep it light to avoid adding too much weight and sogginess. The usual glazes are egg or milk, or some derivation using these ingredients. Water is recommended for shortcrust pastry.[3] Always be guided by what the recipe says.
  9. Learn the key terms. It helps to know what the recipe means when it comes to making pastry. Here are some of the most common terms:

    • Rub in - chop the butter or other fat and add to the flour in the mixing bowl. Use your thumb and fingertips to quickly rub in the fat, sifting through all the flour until the fat is dissolved. Keep your fingertips moving up and down, as this lets in air and this is what makes pastry light (which makes it taste better).[3]
    • Knead - unlike bread, this means to quickly knead and make the pastry smooth. Try to avoid using flour as this will dry out the pastry; keep it to a minimum.
    • Blind bake - a method for pre-baking the pastry prior to adding the filling. See the article for more details.

Video Demonstrations of Pastry Making

These include some reinforcements of the tips outlined in this article and provide you with a clear visual demonstration of how to make different pastry types:






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Rolling and shaping a pie crust

Tips

  • If you make pastry using a food-processor, the same issue concerning overworking applies. To avoid this, only use the "pulse" button.
  • A marble rolling pin is great for keeping things cool but wooden ones are also fine.
  • If you do not use your pastry immediately, keep it in the refrigerator. It can remain there for up to 48 hours.
  • Some chefs roll pastry between baking paper or sheets of greaseproof paper. See Shortcrust Pastry video above for a demonstration of this.
  • Pastry can be frozen for up to three months. Wrap in suitable freezer plastic, or place in an airtight container.
  • Make sure that the flour is fresh! Stale flour does not produce good pastry. It is also important to use soft flour, not strong bread flour.[3]

Things You'll Need

  • Pastry recipe
  • Cool working area
  • Clean working space
  • Rolling pin

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 BBC Food, Points for Making Good Pastry
  2. ↑ Food Down Under, Pastry Info
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Delia Online, How to Make Shortcrust Pastry

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