Different Types of Pastry

There are many different types of pastry, coming from a variety of culinary traditions.

By definition, pastry is a dough made of flower, water and fat. There are a number of different types of pastry. For the most part, they rely on the same basic ingredients with small variations in them, as well as variations in the method required to make them. Pastry is notoriously persnickety and usually requires exact measurements and precise handing in order to turn out well. In the cases of the most difficult to work with pastries, commercial products are available that are nearly as good as homemade.

There are several different types of pastry that typically fall into broad categories.

This is the most commonly used form of pastry. It is made with flour, fat, water and salt. Shortcrust pastry is what is used in pies. Once the dough has been made, it is rolled out on a floured board (only once) and then shaped, filled and baked. Shortcrust pastry requires minimal handling in order to preserve its flakiness. Excessive handling will cause gluten strands to form and toughen up the dough.

Also known as flaky pastry, rough puff pastry is created in a few layers. The fat in the layers melts and causes air pockets, which results in a light, flaky pastry. Strudel is an example of something typically made from rough puff pastry.

Made with layers upon layers that expand as the pastry bakes, puff pastry is an extremely light, puffy, flaky pastry. Puff pastry takes multiple steps over the course of a few days to bake, and typically involves rolling out the pastry, spreading it with a spreadable solid fat, such as butter, folding the pastry over, and re-rolling. This process is repeated multiple times to create small pockets where the fat will melt and leave air pockets that puff the pastry. Puff pastry is the type of pastry used to make Beef Wellington. Croissants are also made from a modified form of puff pastry. Because it can be so difficult and time consuming to make, puff pastry is commonly available commercially in the frozen section of your grocery store. It is usually available in sheets or cups.

Phyllo pastry is an extremely thin pastry that is layered in sheets to create a final dish. The thickness of a well-made phyllo sheet is about the same as a sheet of paper or tissue paper. Because of this thinness, it is the most delicate of all of the pastries and breaks easily. To use phyllo pastry, spread each sheet with butter and layer it in four our five layers before wrapping around a filling. Baklava and spanakopita are examples of foods made using phyllo pastry.

Like puff pastry, phyllo is fairly difficult to make because it is hard to get the pastry as thin as is required. Fortunately, commercially-prepared phyllo pastry is commonly available in the freezer section of the grocery store.

Another issue with phyllo pastry is that it dries out quickly. This makes it necessary to keep the phyllo sheets layered between parchment paper and covered with a damp towel while it is being worked with.

There are number of sweet and savory recipes that can be made with pate a choux. Making pate a choux (also referred to as choux pastry) can be somewhat difficult because the timing of it is fairly precise; however, learning to make a good pate a choux is not out of reach of the average home chef. The pate a choux is made by boiling fat and water, and then adding flour. Next, the mixture is cooled (usually in a water bath to speed cooling). Once the mixture has cooled, eggs are added gradually, which results in a smooth, shiny dough. The pastry is then baked, and later filled. Cream puffs and éclairs are examples of foods made using pate a choux, but it can also be used for savory puffed appetizers – such as shrimp puffs.

Learning to prepare the five basic types of pastry – or learning how to work with the frozen forms of those pastries that are commercially available – allows you to expand your cooking repertoire in a number of delicious ways.

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