44 Pies and Tarts Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Objective Prepare crust for pies and tarts.

44Pies and Tarts

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Objective

• Prepare crust for pies and tarts.


Pies

• The way in which ingredients are combined and baked can make the difference between a mediocre pie and a great one


Piecrust

• Pie dough is a simple mixture of flour, fat, liquid, and salt

• Selecting the right ingredients will help produce a better finished piecrust


Flour

• Pastry flour produces a delicate piecrust, rather than dense and chewy, because it is lower in gluten and higher in starch


Fat

• The choice of fat is the most important factor in creating a piecrust with an excellent texture

• Fats commonly used for piecrusts include butter, lard, and vegetable-based solid shortenings

continued


Fat

• Considerations when choosing a fat for piecrust– Butter

• good flavor• expensive• lower melting point produces crust that is not as

flaky

continued


Fat

• Considerations when choosing a fat for piecrust (continued)– Lard

• higher melting point creates flakier texture than butter

• flavor objectionable to some• dietary restrictions may prohibit its use

continued


Fat

• Considerations when choosing a fat for piecrust (continued)– Vegetable-based solid shortenings

• reasonably priced• neutral flavor• high melting point creates flaky crust


Liquid

• The liquid used in pie dough can be water or milk– Water is most common– Milk helps the crust brown more quickly

• Liquid should be ice cold


Mixing

• Mixing is important for developing a particular texture in a finished piecrust

• Two distinct textures of finished piecrust include– flaky pie dough: commonly used for fruit-filled

pies– mealy pie dough: used for pies with liquid fillings

continued


Mixing

• Do not overmix or overwork either type of dough to avoid developing too much gluten


Rolling and Forming

• Allow the dough to chill before rolling• Do not try to roll out more dough at one time

than is needed• Once the piecrust is formed, the raw pie

shell is ready for the filling

continued


Rolling and Forming

• Three options for finishing the pie– Uncovered: pies with liquid fillings generally

have no top crust– Solid top crust: cut holes or vents in the top crust

to allow steam to escape during baking– Lattice top: strips of dough are woven into a

sheet and placed on the pie to create a decorative top crust

continued


Rolling and Forming

• Egg wash is commonly used to seal the top and bottom crusts together and to give the top crust a brown shiny finish

• The edge of the pie dough can be crimped or decorated to seal it and add eye appeal


1. Dust work surface with flour to prevent dough from sticking. Place a 9-oz. piece of workable dough on the work surface and dust the top of dough with flour.

Technique: Forming a Piecrust

continued


2. Apply even pressure with the rolling pin and periodically turn the dough 90° to produce an even sheet of dough.


continued


2. (continued) Dust the dough and work surface with more flour as needed to prevent sticking.


continued


3. Roll dough to ⅛-inch (2 mm) thickness. Either fold the dough in quarters or roll it over the rolling pin to transfer it to the pie pan without tearing.


continued


3. (continued) Lay the sheet of pie dough in the pie pan and gently press it into the corners.


continued


4. Trim the excess dough from the edges by pressing the side of your hand against the rim of the pie pan.


continued


5. After filling is added, the top crust is placed on the filling and the edges of the top and bottom crusts are crimped together to seal the pie.


©Goodheart-Willcox Publisher


Objective

• Classify traditional fillings for pies.


Pie Fillings

• Come in a variety of flavors and textures

continued


Pie Fillings

• Some are baked with the crust, while others are added after the crust is baked

• Must be properly thickened and paired with the appropriate piecrust


Fruit Fillings

• Raw Fruit Fillings– Mixed with sugar, spices, and a starchy

thickener– As pie bakes, moisture from the fruit and starch

create a thickened filling– Rarely used in foodservice because thickness of

fillings are inconsistent– Underthickened fillings can result in a soggy pie

continued


Fruit Fillings

• Cooked Fruit Fillings– Either the fruit or fruit juice is sweetened and

thickened on the stovetop– Bakers can control the thickness of the filling

before the pie is baked– For delicate or frozen fruits, cook and thicken the

juice and then mix the fruit back into the thickened juice


Liquid Fillings

• Most contain eggs that coagulate and thicken the filling during baking

• Pies with liquid fillings are best baked with mealy pie dough

Can you name some examples of liquid pie fillings?


Cream and Chiffon Fillings

• Cream pies are made with a pudding or pastry cream filling

• Use a prebaked pie shell or a pie shell with a crumb crust

continued


Cream and Chiffon Fillings

• The consistency of the filling should be thick, so slices hold their shape when cut

• Chiffon pies are a lighter version of cream pies with gelatin and whipped cream added to make it airy and firm


Objective

• Summarize how tarts differ from pies.


Tarts

• Similar to pies because of the nature of their pastry crusts

continued


Tarts

• Much shallower than pies at only ½ to ¾ inches (1.5 to 2 cm) deep

• The classical shape for tarts is round with fluted sides, but tarts can also be square, rectangular, or oval

continued


Tarts

• Tartlets are small individual tarts of any shape


Dough

• Depending on the type of filling, short dough or sweet dough may be used for making tarts

• They are both rolled and formed in the same manner as pie dough


Short Dough

• Short dough, also called pâte brisée (paht breez AY), is used with savory fillings for items such as quiche, hors d’oeuvres, and canapés


Sweet Dough

• Sweet dough, also called pâte sucrée (paht soo CRAY), often has flavorings such as ground nuts, extracts, and cocoa powder added


Blind Baking

• Tarts and tartlets are often filled with ingredients that do not need further cooking or baking

continued


Blind Baking

• Before being filled, the tart shells are blind baked

• The dough is lined with parchment paper and then small, loose weights are placed on top of the paper


Filling and Decorating

• Pastry cream is the most common filling for tarts made with sweet dough

• After filling with pastry cream, the tart can be decorated with fresh fruit

continued


Filling and Decorating

• A thin layer of apricot pastry glaze is brushed on the surface


Objective

• Recognize the characteristics and uses of puff pastry.


Puff Pastry

• The texture of baked puff pastry is light, delicate, and extremely flaky

continued


Puff Pastry

• Puff pastry is a roll-in or laminated dough like croissant and Danish dough

• Ready-made puff pastry is often used because it is time and labor intensive to make

continued


Puff Pastry

1. A basic dough made with flour, butter, and water is prepared.

2. A layer of butter shortening is spread onto the dough.

3. The dough is folded and then rolled out.

4. The process of folding and rolling the dough is repeated multiple times.

continued


Puff Pastry

• The process creates many very thin layers of fat in the dough that give it a flaky texture when baked

continued


Puff Pastry

• Puff pastry is– layered with pastry cream to create a napoleon– used for making pastry cases or containers that

can be filled with various savory or sweet fillings– used to wrap various products before they are

baked, called en croute (ehn KREWT)


Review

• Name the four ingredients used to make pie dough– Flour– Fat– Liquid– Salt

continued


Review

• How does the fat used to make the dough affect the texture of the finished crust?– Fats with higher melting points create a

flakier crust

continued


Review

• What liquids are generally used to make pie dough?– Water– Milk

continued


Review

• Name the two textures of pie dough– Flaky pie dough– Mealy pie dough

continued


Review

• What are the three options for finishing a pie once it has been filled?– Uncovered– Solid top crust– Lattice top

continued


Review

• How are fruit fillings most commonly made in the foodservice industry?– Fruit fillings are commonly thickened with

cornstarch or arrowroot on the stovetop before baking

continued


Review

• What ingredient helps thicken liquid fillings?– Eggs coagulate and thicken during the baking

process

continued


Review

• What are the two types of dough used to make tarts?

– Short dough (savory)– Sweet dough

continued


Review

• Describe the process of blind baking– Blind baking is the process of prebaking a pie

or tart shell that is weighted down to help it keep its shape

44 Pies and Tarts Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Objective Prepare crust for pies and tarts.

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