2. Many bakers seem to have a special knack for creating the most tender, flaky, pastry crust. Tender Flaky Pastry Crust There are six ways / techniques to ensure the tender, flaky pastry crust. The first step contributes to flakiness.The remaining five steps are directed at decreasing gluten forming to create the most tender crust:  Use a solid, cold fat  Use a low-protein flour  Add an acid  Avoid using too much water  Do not over mix  Allow the dough to rest.

3.  Use a solid, cold fat Butter has low plasticity and it is the only fat of choice in pastry crust & some bakers use a combination of vegetable fat and butter – to achieve both flakiness and flavor. The butter should not be too hard to cut into the dry ingredients. The general rule is the colder and harder the fat, the flakier the crust.  Use low – Protein flour Flour containing fewer protein,develop less gluten. Most pastry crust use pastry or all-purpose flour.

4.  Add an Acid Adding a very small amount of an acid like orange juice, lemon juice or vinegar helps to break down and denature the proteins in the flour, preventing gluten from forming. The acid also allow the dough to be rolled out more easily with less shrinkage. Many pastry chefs substitute cold orange or lemon juice for some of the ice water, not only to decrease gluten but also to add flavor.

5. AAvoid using too much water One of the most common mistake that bakers make is adding too much water when making a pastry crust. Sprinkle in the water gradually instead of pouring it in all at once. The less water added, the more tender the crust. The water should be very cold, so add ice to a bowl of cold water. Ice water prevents the pieces of fat or butter from warming up and melting into the dough before baking.  Do not over mix Mixing will encourage some gluten to develop. Never knead a pastry dough, instead, push the dough gently against the sides of the bowl until it comes together and then gather it into a ball. Over handling the dough with hands will warm up the fat, reducing flakiness.

6.  Allow the dough to rest Resting the dough relaxes gluten strands, and also allow the fat in the dough to firm up. Resting prevents from melting into the dough. A rested dough is more easily rolled out and shaped with less shrinkage. If the dough does become overworked, wrap it in plastic wrapper and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or even longer to get good result.