Baking Advice:
Savoury Short
Crust Pastry
How to make the flakiest puff pastry.
PIE PERFECTION – ITS’ ALL ABOUT THE BASE
Meghan Trainor may have been singing the pie makers’ anthem when she sings those words, ‘it’s all about the base, ‘bout the base…’. Pie perfection is not just about glamorous golden flaky tops; it is also about a firm pie base holding all that glorious filling in place.
Whilst flaky puff pastry is used as pie base by some, most do not as the fillings require the properties of a denser pastry. Much better to use a shortcrust pastry such as Pâtisserie L’Amour Savoury Shortcrust, sheets or rolls for your pie bases.
Savoury shortcrust pastry is made on our 50m Fritsch pastry line, with long rest periods that allow time for the pastry to relax, and therefore reducing shrinkage when baked. A top that shrinks away from the sides means the pastry hasn’t rested long enough and is a fairly common phenomenon with handmade pastry.
No soggy bottoms!
It is not necessary to blind bake if the filling is well cooked and thickened as there is less moisture to affect the finish of the pie base.
If you are baking with high moisture or raw mixture such as a bacon-and- egg pie, make sure to cook it a bit longer. Reducing excessive moisture by cutting small steam vents in the pie top will also improve the baking of the pie base.
Make sure the pastry is pressed to the pie tin, especially in the corners as a rounded edge will not cook as well as the flat base of the pie.
From top to bottom, the perfect pie is yours to create!
Please Note:
In warm summer-type conditions these storage instructions are critical to prevent mould growth and handling issues with ‘sticky’ pastry.
