Monday 2 December 2013

Pȃtisserie 101: know thy pastry

The word, pȃtsserie comes from the French word pȃte, meaning pastry and that's what it's all about.   Pȃte is basically a mixture of flour and water, known as a détrempe, to which other things are added to give variations of taste, texture, and puffiness. These variations will serve as the basis for most of the recipes on this blog, so let's take a quick look at them, and their differences.

Pȃte brisée: similar to shortcrust pastry, this mixture of flour, salt, and butter with a flaky texture, is the basis for sweet or savory tarts, such as the quiche lorraine.

Pȃte sablée: a sweet pastry with a sandy texture, this is a mixture of flour, sugar, and butter. Sometimes eggs are added and it can be flavored with nuts. This is the basis for many sweet tarts.

Pȃte sucrée: a sweet pastry with a crisp texture, this is a mixture of flour, sugar, butter, and eggs, often flavored with nuts. The difference between this and pȃte sablée is the way in which the butter is mixed with the other ingredients and this affects the final texture. This too, it the basis for many sweet tarts.

Pȃte feuilletée: also known as puff pastry, this is made by adding butter to a détrempe. By a magical process, known as tourage, 729 microscopic layers of butter are created which puff up into flaky layers when cooked. This is the basis for vol au vents, gallettes, and mille feuilles.

Pȃte à choux: eggs, flour, water, milk, and butter form the basis of this pastry which puffs to form small hollow buns when cooked. This is the basis for profiteroles, réligieux, and chocolate éclairs

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