Pastry

Question 1

what is the proportion of fat to flour for laminated pastry

Answer 1

three quarters fat to flour

Question 2

how can the fat be added?(two ways)

Answer 2

1. incorporated at the beginning and then just folded and rolled
2. half the amount incorporated in at the start and then the remainder during the rolling and fading stages

Question 3

what is the dough like of laminated pastry

Answer 3

laminated dough consists of many thin layers of dough separated by butter or other solid fat, produced by repeated folding and rolling

Question 4

many things can go wrong with laminated pastry and one of those is that it has not flaked well. what causes this?

Answer 4

• oven temperature too cool, steam has not been produced quickly enough
• insufficient liquid added, the mixture was too dry
• pastry folded and cooled unevenly
• pastry not rested sufficiently in a cool place
• pastry folded too thinly

Question 5

many things can go wrong with laminated pastry and one of those is that shrinkage happens. what causes this?

Answer 5

dough not relaxed enough after rolling and make up

Question 6

name different types of pastry

Answer 6

puff, short-crust, choux, filo

Question 7

when making pastry why should the kitchen, utensils and ingredients be cool

Answer 7

pastry doesn’t like warmth a the fat starts to melt and therefore does not trap as much air

Question 8

why must the measurements in the recipe be followed exactly

Answer 8

as any deviation will change the outcome

Question 9

why must you add a little bit of liquid at a time when making pastry

Answer 9

too much liquid creates a tough dough, whilst too little gives a crumbly texture

Question 10

why is pastry better when its allowed to chill

Answer 10

once the dough is formed, chill for 30 minutes, this allows the gluten to relax and the fat to re harden, making the dough easy and less likely to shrink

Question 11

why should you handle dough as little as possible

Answer 11

to minimise the development of gluten

Question 12

what is the function of flour

Answer 12

forms the structure of the pastry, it is the bulk ingredient

Question 13

why is strong plain flour used

Answer 13

high gluten content

Question 14

what is the function of fat

Answer 14

in shortcrust pastry the fat coats the flour granules resulting in a crumbly texture
it also traps air between layers in flaky/ rough

Question 15

what is the function of water

Answer 15

• binds the dry ingredients together
• lemon juice is sometimes added to strengthen the gluten
• retired for stretching and rolling

Question 16

what is the function of salt

Answer 16

adds flavour, strengthens gluten

Question 17

what is the proportion of fat to flour in shortcrust pastry

Answer 17

half fat to flour

Question 18

why is block fat best for shortcrust pastry

Answer 18

as these contain less water and are easier to handle

Question 19

what does the white fat do

Answer 19

provides shortness

Question 20

what does the yellow fat do

Answer 20

adds colour and flavour

Question 21

how are the fat and flour combined

Answer 21

the rubbing in method and mixed together with cold water

Question 22

what is baking blind

Answer 22

this is a process where the pastry case is baked before the filling is added. we use baking beans or rice to weigh down greaseproof paper and prevent the sides from collapsing and the base from rising in the oven

Question 23

many things can go wrong with shortcrust pastry such as it can go hard and have a tough texture, explain what can cause this

Answer 23

• over kneading or heavy handling by hand or machine
• incorrect proportions of ingredients, designated tolerances not followed, too much water added
• incorrect oven temperature

Question 24

many things can go wrong with shortcrust pastry such as it can go blistered, explain what can cause this

Answer 24

• oven set at a too higher temperature
• fats insufficiently mixed into flour
• uneven addition of water

Question 25

many things can go wrong with shortcrust pastry such as it can go fragile and crumbly, explain what can cause this

Answer 25

• too much fat
• insufficient water
• over mixing the fat into the flour

Question 26

many things can go wrong with shortcrust pastry such as it can shrink during cooking, explain what can cause this

Answer 26

• over working the pastry during kneading and rolling