PASTRY A mixture of flour and liquid, usually enriched with fat, forming a light dough. Pastry is used for savoury and sweet recipes, to partly or completely encase a filling before cooking. Alternatively, pastry cases may be baked and filled, topped or layered after cooking.When flavoured or sweetened, the pastry may be baked to make a variety of items, such as cheese straws or palmiers. Types of pastry. Depending on the ingredients and the proportions in which they are used, a variety of different pastry doughs can be made. Pastry doughs can be grouped according to their texture when cooked. As a rule, all ingredients should be chilled for pastry, and the mixture must be handled lightly and swiftly. Choux Paste or Pastry. Choux paste differs from the pastries in that it is a paste, not a dough. It is sometimes included in the pastry category, probably because it rises, becomes crisp and crusty, and forms a case or shell when cooked. Fine layered pastries . These have little or not fat but consist of a flour and water dough, sometimes with egg added. The dough is first rolled, then stretched until paper thin or even finer. The pastry is assembled in several layers, each brushed with a little fat. The fat makes the layer of pastry stick together during shaping and also prevents the pastry from drying out and disintegrating. The fat gives the pastry a crisp texture and golden colour. Filo and strueded pastries are two examples.
Posted on: Tue, 03 Dec 2013 09:00:00 +0000
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