Pastry is one of the most versatile components in catering. It can be used sweet or savory, as a casing, base, lid or layer. There are different types of pastry like shortcrust, flaky, puff, choux, and filo. Pastry is made from ingredients like flour, fat, water and sometimes eggs or sugar. The fat and water bind the dough while the flour provides structure. Proper mixing and handling techniques are needed to produce tender pastry. Common faults include shrinkage or uneven rising which can be caused by improper rolling, dough thickness, or baking temperature.

1. Pastry
One of the most versatile
and useful components in
the Catering Kitchen
Use it for sweet, for savoury, for a casing, a base, a lid, a layer. These are just some
of the many examples of how pastry can be used

2. You need to be able to:
• Name different types of pastry
• Explain the different pastry-making methods
• Explain the functions of the ingredients of each pastry
• Know the basic ratio and ingredients for standard pastry recipes
• Identify the faults in pastry making and suggest remedies to the problem
• Successfully make recipes using different pastry-making methods
• Suggest suitable pastry to use for different dishes and occasions
• Name different dishes that use each type of pastry.
• Know what good quality is for each type of pastry

3. DIFFERENT TYPES OF PASTRY:
•SHORTCRUST / SWEET SHORT CRUST
•FLAKY / PUFF / ROUGH PUFF
•CHOUX
•FILO
Others include:
•SUET
•HOT WATER CRUST

4. SHORTCRUST
Basic Recipe uses the proportion
- ½ fat to flour e.g.:
o 200g Flour
o 100g Fat
o 2 tbsp Water
o Pinch salt
Characteristics -
•Crumbly, Light, Crisp / Short
•Rub fat into flour to look like
breadcrumbs and mix in water
Uses
Sweet OR Savoury - Pies Pasties,
Tartlets etc

5. Sweet Pastry – Pate Sucre
Basic Recipe uses the more fat
than short crust and uses egg to
bind, sugar to sweeten and enrich.
Characteristics -
•Crumbly, Light, Crisp, Sweet /
Short
•Rub fat into flour to look like
breadcrumbs and mix in liquid
•Can be difficult to handle
•Can be rolled or moulded to shape
Uses
Sweet dishes - Pies, Tartlets etc

6. FLAKY
Basic Recipe, proportion is ¾ fat
to flour.
o 200g flour
o 150g fat
o 100ml water
•Rub ¼ fat into flour, Mix together
with liquids, Roll and fold adding
¼ fat each time, creating the
layers
Characteristics
•Layers of crisp flakes
•Steam is a raising agents
Uses
Fruit flans, tartlets

7. Puff Pastry
Similar to Flaky except the layers are less uniformed
Characteristics
Rich, buttery dough that bakes into hundreds of light crispy layers
Fat is Rolled-in to the doughlike danish and croissant dough but no
yeast content
Steam serve as the leavening agent; can rise to eight times to its
original thickness when baked
Butter is the preferred fat for rolling in and is rolled in as one big lump,
then the layers are formed by folding. Similar to making Flaky Pastry
Rough Puff is a basic type of Puff Pastry, that is quicker and
easier to make.
Uses – as for Flaky

8. FILO
• Paper thin, very crispy.
• often store brought
• Used to make strudels and small
pastries
• Can be cut, folded or scrunched into
shape.
• Each layer is brushed with fat before
folding / shaping.
• Dries out very quickly, so it should be
kept covered with a damp cloth whilst
working with it.

9. CHOUX PASTRY
Basic Recipe – this pastry is ‘cooked’ in a pan before it is
baked. 1/3 fat to flour
o 75g Flour
o 25g Fat
o 2 Eggs
o 125ml Water
o Heat water and melt fat in pan, add flour, beat in eggs
Characteristics
• Light, Well risen, Crisp Texture, Hollow Inside
• Usually filled and coated
• Dough is piped into shape before baking
Uses
Éclairs, Profiteroles, Cream buns

10. What is pastry made of?
• Water
• Flour
• Fat
Other ingredients often used are:
Egg – Choux and Pate Sucre
Sugar – Pate Sucre
Lemon Juice – Flaky / Puff Pastry
Salt

11. Functions of ingredients
• Purpose of flour in a recipe?
o Gluten of the flour forms the structure of the pastry
o Too much flour will produce a tough pastry
• Which fats are used to make pastry?
o Vegetable shortening or lard, hard margarine or butter
Why?
o Lard produces the most tender pastry – makes it ‘short’
o Butter and margarine enriches the flavour and colour of the pastry
• Too much shortening - Fragile & crumbly pastry
• Too little shortening - Tough pastry
Purpose of water in pastry?
To bind the dough together
To create steam in Choux pastry
• Too much water - Pastry will be tough
• Too little water - Pastry will be dry, crumbly, and difficult to roll

12. Tips for Mixing and Handling Pastry
(not for Choux Pastry)
• Temperature of ingredients
o All ingredients should be chilled = more tender pastry and
easier to handle
• Over mixing the ingredients causes gluten to overdevelop & a
tough pastry
• Handle the pastry as little as possible to avoid toughening it
• 6 steps in rolling pastry:
1. Gather dough into a firm ball
2. Flatten dough ball with palm of hand
3. Roll pastry from the center toward the edge
4. Roll gently until pastry is 1/8 inch thick & 1 inch larger than
pie pan
5. Flour rolling pin and roll pastry over it
6. Unroll pastry over pie pan, gently easing in the sides & bottom
• Do not stretch the pastry because it will cause shrinking during
baking
• Don’t forget to glaze it with egg wash to add a golden, glossy
appearance.

13. Ways to Use Pastry…
• Dessert
o Fruit Pie
o Custard Pie
o Tart
• Accompaniment
o Pastry cut into strips or
fancy shapes
o To garnish salads or soups
• Main Dish
o Quiche
o Chicken Pot Pie

14. Layers of Puff Pastry

15. Puff Pastry Faults and their Causes
Faults Possible Causes
Shrinkage during baking Dough not relax during baking
Poor lift or rising Too little or too little fat used
Dough rolled out too thin or given
too many turns
Oven too hot or too cold
Uneven lift or irregular shapes Improper rolling in procedure
Uneven distribution of fat before
rolling
Dough not relaxed before baking
Uneven heat in oven
Fat running out during baking Too much fat used
Not even turns given
Oven too cool

16. Key words