1. Pies and Pastry Dough

2. Objective:
Identify and prepare pastries

3. 4 Main Pie Ingredients Flour = structure Salt = flavor
Fat = tenderness
Liquid = holds dough together + moisture

4. Pastry Dough Ingredients
Differences in fats:
Taste and flavor
Lard or Shortening = more tender
Oil = harder to handle i.e. crumbly
Differences in flours:
All-purpose – harder wheat, more gluten
Cake flour – softer wheat, less gluten

5. Understanding Pie Dough
Pie crusts are made from four basic ingredients: flour, fat, salt, and water
Flour gives structure to the pastry
Fat makes pie tough because it causes gluten development in flour
Fat adds flakiness because it separates the layers of gluten
Oil and margarine are the two most common fats used to make pie crust
Oil makes pie crust mealy (granular) and tender rather than flaky and tender
Water provides moisture to help gluten form and produces steam for flakiness

6. Understanding Pie Dough
Salt adds much more to pie crust than other flavorings
Shortening is cut into the flour until it resembles particles the size of salt
Pie dough should be mixed with the hands
A pie crust recipe should always list a specific amount of water
Too much flour, water, or fat will make the pie crust tough
Dough that is stretched to fit the pie pan will shrink from the sides while baking

7. Making Dough
When cutting in shortening with flour and salt, it is important to mix it thoroughly together like coarse corn meal so that your crust is tender and flaky
Water must be icy cold to prevent the fat from melting
Use a fork to mix the water into the dough
Handling the dough too much toughens the pastry dough

8. Rolling Dough
Always begin rolling from the center to the outer edge, lifting it up at the edge
Poking holes in the dough with a fork or pricking it, will prevent the dough from puffing during baking
Using a pastry cloth and stockinet will help prevent it from sticking to the rolling pin and counter top

9. Three Styles of Pie Crusts
Pie shell
baked separately and filled after baking
pricked crust
Filled with creams/pudding
Single crust pie
bottom crust and filling baked together
Ex: pecan and pumpkin
Double crust pie
bottom crust, filling, and top crust baked together
Ex: fruit pies

10. Double Crust Pie Sealing
Cut excess edge of dough off bottom crust
Fill pie dish
Lay top dough over ingredients then cut excess edge of dough off the top crust
Rub water on the bottom crust before adding top crust
Crimp them together using various fluting techniques

11. Storing & Caring for Pies/Dough
It is all right to re-roll the dough, once, if it is not rolled perfectly the first time
Custard, chiffon, and cream pies need to be refrigerated and should be used within 6-7 days
Fruit pies are best when eaten within 1-2 days but can be kept up to four days
Fruit pies can be frozen for 9-10 months.
Cream/custard pies freeze very well
Baked or unbaked pie crusts may be frozen.

12. Secrets to Successful Pastries
If your pastry is crumbly and hard to roll:
Add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time
Toss the flour mixture and water together a little more or just till evenly moistened
If your pastry is tough:
Use a pastry blender to cut in the shortening or lard till well mixed and all of the mixture resembles small peas.
Use less water to moisten the flour mixture.
Toss the flour mixture and water together only till all of the flour mixture is moistened.
Use less flour when rolling out the pastry.

13. Secrets to Successful Pastries
If your crust shrinks excessively:
Roll the pastry to an even thickness
Mix in water only till evenly moistened
Don’t stretch pastry when transferring it
If the bottom crust is soggy:
Use a dull metal or glass pie plate, not a shiny metal pan
Patch any cracks in the pastry with a scrap of the pastry before adding the filling
Be sure the oven temperature is accurate. If the temperature is too low, the bottom crust will not bake properly
Brush egg white over the bottom of the crust prior to baking