Everything about Pastry totally explained
Pastry is the name given to various kinds of
baked goods made from ingredients such as
flour,
butter,
shortening, baking powder or
eggs. It may also refer to the
dough from which such baked goods are made. Pastry dough is rolled out thinly and used as a base for
baked goods. Common pastry dishes
include
pies,
tarts and
quiches..
Pastry is distinguished from
bread by having a higher fat content, which contributes to a flaky or crumbly texture. A good pastry is light and airy and fatty, but firm enough to support the weight of the filling. When making a
shortcrust pastry, care must be taken to blend the fat and flour thoroughly before adding any liquid. This ensures that the flour granules are adequately coated with fat and less likely to develop
gluten. On the other hand, overmixing results in long
gluten strands that toughen the pastry. In other types of pastry, such as
Danish pastry and
croissants, the characteristic flaky texture is achieved by repeatedly rolling out a
dough similar to that for
yeast bread, spreading it with
butter, and folding it to produce many thin layers.
Many pie recipes involve
blind-baking the pastry before the filling is added. Pastry dough may be sweetened or unsweetened.
History
European traditions of pastry-making are often traced back to the short crust era flaky doughs that were in use throughout the Mediterranean in ancient times. These recipes were popularized in Western Europe by Crusaders returning home. However, the Romans, Greeks and
Phoenicians all had
filo-style pastries in their culinary traditions. There is also strong evidence that the ancient Egyptians produced pastry-like confections. These recipes were adopted and adapted over time in various European countries, resulting in the myriad of pastry traditions known to the region, from Portuguese "pastéis de nata" in the west to Russian "pirozhky" in the east. The use of chocolate in pastry-making in the West, so commonplace today, arose only after Spanish and Portuguese traders brought chocolate to Europe from the New World starting in the 1500s. Many culinary historians consider French pastry chef Antonin Carème (1784-1833) to have been the first great master of pastry making in modern times. Small cakes, tarts and other sweet baked goods are called "pastries."
Pastry-making also has a strong tradition in many parts of
Asia.
Chinese pastry is made from rice, or different types of flour, with fruit,
sweet bean paste or
sesame-based fillings. Since the 19th century, the British brought western-style pastry to the
far east. Though it would be the French influenced
Maxim in the 1950s that made western pastry popular in Chinese-speaking regions starting with
Hong Kong. Still, the term "west cake" (西餅) is used to differentiate between the automatically assumed Chinese pastry.
Types of pastry
These are some of the main types of pastry dough:
Profession
Those who make pastries professionally are known as either
bakers or
pastry chefs, depending on whether they produce pastries for a
bakery or a
restaurant.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Pastry'.
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