Advanced Baking Hpmgt #135

Key Topic Discussion: PIES & TARTS

PIES

v A pie is composed of a sweet or savory filling in a baked crust. It can be made without a top crust or, more typically, topped with a full or lattice crust. A pie is generally made in a round, slope-sided pan and cut into wedges for service.

v A tart is similar to a pie except it is made in a shallow, straight-sided pan, often with fluted edges. A tart can be almost any shape; round, square, rectangular and petal shapes are the most common. It is usually open-faced and derives much of its beauty from an attractive arrangement of glazed fruit, piped cream or chocolate decorations.

CRUSTS

v Pie crusts and tart shells can be made from several types of doughs or crumbs. Flaky dough, mealy dough and crumbs are best for pie crusts; sweet dough is usually used for tart shells. A pie crust or tart shell can be shaped and completely baked before filling (known as baked blind) or filled and baked simultaneously with the filling.

v FLAKY AND MEALY DOUGHS

ü Quick, easy and versatile.

ü aka pâte brisée.

ü Flaky best for pie top crusts and blind baking.

ü Mealy used whenever a soggy crust would be a problem.

ü Both flaky and mealy doughs are too delicate for tarts that will be removed from the pan for service.

ü Both contain little or no sugar and can be prepared from the same formula with only a slight variation in mixing method.

ü For both types, a cold fat such as butter or shortening is cut into the flour. The amount of flakiness in the baked crust depends on the size of the fat particles. The larger the pieces of fat, the flakier the crust will be.

ü The type of fat used affects both the dough’s flavor and flakiness. Butter contributes a delicious flavor, but does not produce as flaky a crust as other fats because of its lower melting point and its tendency to become brittle when chilled.

ü After the fat is cut into the flour, water or milk is added to form a soft dough. Less water is needed for mealy dough because more flour is already in contact with the fat, reducing its ability to absorb liquid. Cold water is used to prevent softening the fat. Milk may be used to increase richness and nutritional value. It will produce a darker, less crisp crust.

ü Hand mixing is best as you retain better control over the procedure when you can feel the fat being incorporated. Overmixing develops too much gluten, making the dough elastic and difficult to use.

ü Refrigerating pie dough after mixing is recommended to allow the moisture to evenly distribute through the mixture and to firm the fat for ease of handling.

CLASSIFICATION OF PIE AND TART DOUGHS
DOUGH	FRENCH NAME	CHARACTERISTICS AFTER BAKING	USE
Flaky dough	Pâte brisée	Very flaky; not sweet	Prebaked pie shells; pie top crusts
Mealy dough	Pâte brisée	Moderately flaky; not sweet	Custard, cream or fruit pie crusts; quiche crusts
Sweet tart dough	Pâte sucrée	Very rich; crisp; not flaky	Tart and tartlet shells
Shortbread tart dough	Pâte sablée	Very rich; fragile; not flaky	Tart and tartlet shells; cookies

v SWEET TART DOUGH

ü Aka pâte sucrée, a rich, nonflaky dough.

ü Sturdier than flaky or mealy dough because it contains egg yolks and the fat is blended in thoroughly. This mixing technique also prevents air pockets from forming in the baked dough; hence, it is not flaky.

ü Since more fat coats the flour, less gluten is formed, making for a tender dough when baked. It is also more cookielike than classic pie dough and has the rich flavor of butter.

ü Shortbread tart dough or pate sablée is sweet tart dough with a high percentage of fat, also used for rich, butter cookies.

ü Raw dough may be kept refrigerated up to 2 weeks or frozen up to 3 months.

v CRUMB CRUSTS

ü A quick and tasty bottom crust can be made from finely ground cookie crumbs moistened with melted butter. Can be used for unbaked pies such as those with cream or chiffon fillings, or they can be baked with their fillings, as with cheesecakes.

ü Chocolate cookies, graham crackers, gingersnaps, vanilla wafers and macaroons are popular choices for crumb crusts. Some breakfast cereals such as corn flakes or bran flakes are also used. Ground nuts and spices can be added for flavor. Whatever cookies or other ingredients are used, be sure they are ground to a fine, even crumb.

ü Typical ratio for a crumb crust is one part melted butter, two parts sugar and four parts crumbs. The amount of sugar may need to be adjusted depending on the type of crumbs used.

ü Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and chill or bake it before filling.

v SHAPING CRUSTS

ü Easier to roll out and work with if well chilled.

ü Lightly dust the work surface, rolling pin and dough with bread or all-purpose flour before starting to roll the dough. (Cake or pastry flour tends to clump and is not recommended.)

ü Roll out the dough from the center, working toward the edges. Periodically, lift the dough gently and rotate it. This keeps the dough from sticking and helps produce an even thickness. If the dough sticks to the rolling pin or work surface, sprinkle on a bit more flour. Too much flour, however, makes the crust dry and crumbly and causes gray streaks.

v BAKING CRUSTS

ü Pie crusts can be filled and then baked, or baked and then filled.

ü Unfilled baked crusts can be stored at room temperature 2 to 3 days or wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen as long as 3 months.

ü Pie crusts that are baked before being filled are said to be baked blind. To retain their shape, small holes are pricked in the pie shell dough with a fork or paring knife, a technique known as docking. The unbaked pie shell is then lined with parchment or plastic wrap and filled with baking (or pie) weights, dry rice or beans. Once the crust has baked long enough to set so it will not puff up, the weights are removed and the shell is returned to the oven to finish baking.

ü To help retain crispness once filled, the crust may be coated with a thin layer of egg wash during the final minutes of baking. A baked crust can also be brushed with a thin layer of caramel or melted chocolate for the same effect.

TROUBLESHOOTING CHART FOR PIES
PROBLEM	CAUSE	SOLUTION
Crust shrinks	Overmixing Overworking dough Not enough fat Dough was stretched or rolled incorrectly	Adjust mixing technique Adjust rolling technique Adjust formula Improve technique
Soggy crust	Wrong dough was used Oven temperature too low Not baked long enough Filing too moist	Use mealier dough Adjust oven Adjust baking time Adjust formula
Crumbly crust	Not enough liquid Not enough fat Improper mixing	Adjust formula Adjust mixing technique Correct technique
Tough crust	Not enough fat Overmixing	Adjust formula Adjust mixing technique
Runny filling	Insufficient starch Starch insufficiently cooked	Adjust formula Cook longer
Lumpy cream filling	Starch not incorporated properly Filling overcooked	Blend starch with sugar before adding liquid; stir filling while cooking Adjust cooking time
Custard filling “weeps” or separates	Too many eggs Eggs overcooked	Reduce egg content or add starch to the filling Reduce oven temperature or baking time