Puff pastry

“ For puff paste, which is prepared so as to hold air between thin layers of pastry, bread flour is often used because it retains air better. Flours made of other cereals may also be used. Pastry made of such flours is more difficult to handle, but good results may be obtained if patience and care are exercised. When corn flour, rice flour, and barley flour are used as part of the flour for pastry, it will be found that less shortening is needed than when wheat flour alone is used. ”

“ Pastry with Butter.—Good puff paste is made by taking equal quantities of butter and flour—say a pound of each—the yolk of one egg, a pinch of salt, while the water used is acidulated with lemon-juice. For the manipulation of this pastry we must refer those who do not know how to make it to other cookery books, or to the shilling one above mentioned. In making ordinary paste we must use less butter; and when we use considerably less butter, if we wish the pastry light, we shall require baking-powder. The quantity depends very much upon the quality. ”

“ Puff Paste usually consists of flour and butter in equal proportions, but in short crust the proportions of fat and flour vary, and may be one-fourth for an economical paste, or three-fourths for a rich short crust. For ordinary purposes 1⁄2 a lb. of butter or fat to each lb. of flour, will, with the addition of a good teaspoonful of baking-powder, make a sufficiently rich crust. Fine starchy flour makes the lightest pastry, the larger proportion of gluten in household flour—although exceedingly valuable from a dietetic point of view—tends to make pastry, tough. ”

“ Fill the dish with the mixture of the pudding, and bake it in a moderate oven. The paste should be of a light brown colour. If the oven is too slow, it will be soft and clammy; if too quick, it will not have time to rise as high as it ought to do.
In making the best puff-paste, try to avoid using more flour to sprinkle and roll with, than the small portion which you have laid aside for that purpose at the beginning. If you make the dough too soft at first, by using too much water, it will be sticky, and require more flour, and will eventually be tough when baked. ”

“ The next thing to be considered is the oven, as the baking of pastry requires particular attention. Do not put it into the oven until it is sufficiently hot to raise the paste; for the best-prepared paste, if not properly baked, will be good for nothing. Brushing the paste as often as rolled out, and the pieces of butter placed thereon, with the white of an egg, assists it to rise in leaves or flakes. As this is the great beauty of puff-paste, it is as well to try this method. ”

“ If pastry is to have the desired flakiness, the shortening must not be broken into such minute particles and the flour must not be saturated with fat, as is more likely to be the case if oil is used in place of solid fat. In addition to being solid, the fat should be just as cold as possible.
Butter is the fat that is used for puff paste, but for other varieties of pastry almost any desirable fat may be utilized. Lard has always been a particular favorite for pastry making ”

“ BAKING PUFF PASTE.--A very hot oven is required for successful puff paste. In fact, the colder the pastry and the hotter the oven, the better will be the chances for light pastry. The air incorporated between the layers of the paste by the folding and rolling expands in the heat of the oven, causing the paste to rise and producing the characteristic lightness. ”

“ If light, good pastry can be substituted for the sodden crust of the ordinary pie, it will be found not only more palatable, but far more digestible and wholesome. Confections of puff-paste can be served on all occasions, and always make an acceptable dish, whereas ordinary pastry is excluded from any but the most informal service. ”

“ Puff paste is a kind of fine sandwich. There should be a certain number of layers of dough and layers of butter. Take care, therefore, that the butter is not allowed to break through the dough; and be very careful to follow the directions given for making this pastry. Its manufacture requires patience, because, if it is not properly cooled between the turns, the friction of rolling will warm the butter, and cause it to smear into the dough. For short crust, rub the butter or fat lightly into the flour with the tips of the fingers ”

“ Bake until light and nicely browned and then remove from the oven.
75. RECIPE FOR PUFF PASTE.--Either bread or pastry flour may be used in the preparation of puff paste, but if pastry flour is used a tablespoonful or two more will be required.
The amount of cold water needed varies with the absorbing power of the flour. However, only enough should be used to make it possible to knead the mass of dough that forms so that it may become elastic. Kneading develops the gluten in the flour and helps to hold in the fat thus making the paste easier to handle.
PUFF PASTE
2 c. ”

“ Sift over sugar, put them back in the oven to colour them; then fill the rings with preserve of any bright colour. Dish them high on a napkin, and serve. So many pretty dishes of pastry may be made by stamping puff-paste out with fancy cutters, and filling the pieces, when baked, with jelly or preserve, that our space will not allow us to give a separate recipe for each of them; but as they are all made from one paste, and only the shape and garnishing varied, perhaps it is not necessary, and by exercising a little ingenuity, variety may always be obtained. ”

“ It is necessary to work rapidly and with a light touch. A cold room is of great advantage.
For making pastry, pastry flour and the best shortenings, thoroughly chilled, are essential. Its lightness depends on the amount of air enclosed and expansion of that air in baking. The flakiness depends upon kind and amount of shortening used. Lard makes more tender crust than butter, but lacks flavor which butter gives. Puff paste is usually shortened with butter, though some chefs prefer beef suet. Eggs and ice were formerly used, but are not essentials. ”

“ In such an event, use a good brand of household flour. The more refined the kind, the less nutriment it contains. Never add baking-powders of any kind.
The secret of making good pastry lies in lightly mixing with a cool hand. If a spoon must be used, let it be a wooden one. Roll in one direction only, away from the person. If you must give a backward roll, let it be only once. Above all, roll lightly and little. The quicker the pastry is made the better.
2. PUFF PASTE. 1/2 lb. fresh-butter or 6 ozs. Mapleton's nutter, 1 yolk of egg or 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/2 lb. flour. ”

“ For every description of pastry made from puff paste, try if the oven is hot by placing your hand about half way in, and hold it there about a quarter of a minute, if you can hold it there that time without inconvenience it would not be hot enough, but if you cannot judge of the heat, the safest method would be, try a piece of the paste previous to baking the whole ”

“ Put the eggs in a shallow broad pan, and beat them with an egg-beater or rods, till they are quite smooth, and as thick as a boiled custard. Then stir the eggs, gradually, into the pan of butter and sugar. Add the liquor and rose water by degrees and then stir in, gradually, the juice and grated rind of the lemon. Stir the whole very hard, after all the ingredients are in.
Have ready a puff-paste made of five ounces of sifted flour, and a quarter of a pound of fresh butter. The paste must be made with as little water as possible. ”

“ The oven should be made very hot before the pastry is put in, and then the heat should be moderated. This can of course be managed best with a gas oven.
This rough puff paste is very suitable for small sausage rolls. Roll out for last time quite square. Divide into nine equal squares, put a small quantity of sausage meat on centre, wet edges and press together. Brush over with egg and bake. Remember never to brush the edges with egg, as that would stick them together and prevent rising.
Rich Puff Paste
suitable for patties, vol-au-vent, &c., is made as above, but with 6 ozs. butter to 8 ozs. ”

“ It is, therefore, capable 134of more perfect mastication than puff or flaky crust, both of which are liable to be swallowed in flakes.
However well pastry is made, success will not be attained unless the oven is rightly heated. The very lightest crusts will often be totally spoiled in the baking because this important point is not attended to. If the oven is not very hot, the fat will melt and run out of the pastry before the starch grains in the flour burst; consequently, they cannot afterwards expand, however hot the oven may be made; and in this way the paste will become heavy. ”

“ French pastries are nationally popular and are very attractive for tea or fancy dessert service. The maker has wide scope for the display of individuality in devising and decorating pastries. Slices of jelly roll, loaf or sponge cake may be spread with mocha frosting to form individual cakes. Fruit-filled tarts, topped with a bit of meringue, are always popular. The real French pastry is made of puff paste, very tender and flaky, and filled with fruit. ”

“ It should be made in a cold place, and near an open window. When you make 77 up your pies cut a piece from top to bottom of the pile, and roll out thin. The fire should be under pastry to make it puff up. There is nothing better for baking pastry than a ten plate stove.
VERY SUPERIOR MINCE PIES.
Take a fresh tongue and some of the neck, four pounds in all; two pounds of suet, four pounds of raisins, two of currants, two of citron, six pounds of sugar, one quart of brandy, one of Madeira wine, and half a peck of apples. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and very little salt. ”

“ Add salt to flour, and work in lard with tips of fingers or case knife. Moisten to dough with cold water; ice-water is not an essential, but is desirable in summer. Toss on board dredged sparingly with flour, pat, and roll out; fold in butter as for puff paste, pat, and roll out. Fold so as to make three layers, turn half-way round, pat, and roll out; repeat. The pastry may be used at once; if not, fold in cheese-cloth, put in covered tin, and keep in cold place, but never in direct 464contact with ice. Plain paste requires a moderate oven. ”

“ This is not the form of pastry called by the French fanchonnettes. Fine puff paste, 1 lb.; apricot or peach jam, 4 to 6 oz.: baked 20 to 25 minutes.
JELLY TARTLETS, OR CUSTARDS. Put four tablespoonsful of fine fruit-jelly into a basin, and stir to it gradually twelve spoonsful of beaten egg; if the preserve be rich and sweet, no sugar will be required. Line some pans with paste rolled very thin, fill them with the custard, and bake them about ten minutes. [131]
131. ”

“ The proportion of butter and flour may be varied. Weight for weight makes the real puff-paste, and very rich. If less butter is used it will not rise as much, but is excellent nevertheless, and is more handy to make different cakes, such as short-cakes with fruit. Therefore puff-paste may be made with the following proportions: to one pound of flour, use fourteen, twelve, ten, eight, or even four ounces of butter or suet. Another way is to mix one or two eggs in the flour, water, and salt before rolling it down. When eggs are used, it requires less water. ”

“ A few of the more cunning among the oldest stagers mixed up a sort of tough consistence of this same flour, with a solution of snow in dirty water, and with the aid of a flat smooth stone, by way of table, manufactured a composition, something in form and substance not unlike a nine pound shot, and which might be converted to the same use. This bit of delicate pastry, which was called a doughboy, was sometimes crammed into the haversack for future provender, and the unfortunate genius who could not manage to bake the treasured lump, devoured it ravenously in its moist and tender state. ”

“ At dinner, they have boiled pastes under the name of puddings, and the fattest are esteemed the most delicious; all their sauces, even for roasted beef, are melted butter; their turnips and potatoes swim in lard, butter, or fat; under the name of pumpkin pie their pastry is nothing but a greasy paste, never sufficiently baked; to digest these substances they take tea almost instantly after dinner, making it so strong that it is absolutely bitter to the taste, in which state it affects the nerves so powerfully that even the English find it brings on more obstinate restlessness than coffee. ”

“ The ingredients used in pastry making are neither numerous nor complicated, usually including only flour, salt, shortening, and liquid. If these are correctly combined, they will be all that is required to make a pastry that is light, flaky, and crisp. Occasionally a recipe requiring baking powder will be found and sometimes eggs are called for in mixtures of this kind, but neither of these ingredients is required for successful pastry making. Baking powder may be an advantage when it is used by one who is not experienced in the handling of pastry mixtures, for it helps to make pastry lighter. ”

“ It is here that the impartial tribunal of nature pronounces definitely against roast goose, mince pies, pâté de foie gras, sally lunn, muffins and crumpets, and creamy puddings. It is here, too, that the slightest taint in meat, milk, or butter is immediately detected; that rancid pastry from the pastrycook’s is ruthlessly exposed, and that the wiles of the fishmonger are set at naught by the judicious palate. ”