How to choose the right pie dough?
Quiches, puff pastry appetizers, gourmet fruit pies… In a savory version at dinner, as in a sweet version at tea time, pie dough continues to inspire us on a daily basis and make our life in the kitchen easier. Whether you prefer to make it yourself at home or buy it ready-made to save time, it appears to be the essential element for successful preparations. Hence the importance of choosing it well! Indeed, there are several types of pasta. And depending on the recipe you want to make, you should choose one dough over another. But then, which one to choose? Puff pastry or shortcrust pastry? Pure butter or based on vegetable oils? Marmiton guides you to succeed all your delicacies.
Short pastry, puff pastry, shortbread… what's the difference?
Did you know? There are, not 3, but 4 types of pie dough: shortcrust pastry, puff pastry, shortbread and sweet. Each of them has its own characteristics and will be more or less appropriate depending on the type of dish or dessert you want to make. Here's what to remember:- Shortcrust pastry: crispy and light at the same time, shortcrust pastry is the star of the kitchen. Its composition and neutral taste make it an ideal base for both savory (quiches, pies, flamiches) and sweet (pies, tarts, etc.) recipes. Impermeable and non-friable, it allows the use of liquid preparations such as a quiche or flan for example. It can be baked alone, especially for fresh fruit pies, or baked directly with its delicious filling. To reinforce the impermeability of the shortcrust pastry, it is also possible to brush the bottom of the pie with an egg yolk or to cover it with almond powder.- Puff pastry: Airy and crispy, puff pastry is also suitable good for both sweet and savory recipes. You can use it to cook a variety of desserts (millefeuilles, fine pies), or classics of French cuisine (pie, galette de rois, pâté en croute, etc.). It is also an excellent partner for a successful aperitif worthy of the name: sunny pies, bites, puff pastries, cheese twists or even palms... There is no shortage of recipe inspiration with it. It can also be used for moist appliances, if necessary slightly pre-baking the pie shell (don't forget the baking beads to prevent the dough from swelling too much). shortcrust pastry is the darling of desserts. It is obtained by kneading the dough with your fingertips until it has a sandy texture. It is then advisable to bake it blind (cover the dough with a sheet of parchment paper and place baking beads on top) for better impermeability. Sweet and gourmet, it goes perfectly with bitter and characterful fillings such as a coffee, lemon, dark chocolate pie or even the famous American pumpkin pie. It is also possible to cut it into small individual shortbread cookies or to garnish it with pastry cream or almond cream.- Sweet dough: Not to be confused with shortbread dough. Prepared with icing sugar, it stands out with its drier and less crumbly dough. The order of incorporation of the ingredients and the texture also differ from shortbread dough. It is therefore more resistant, even if it is advisable to bake it blind for a better hold. The sweet dough is perfect for making succulent desserts such as the base of a dessert, pies or even individual cookies.
On the same subject The secrets of pie doughThe secret to successful piesTart: tips to avoid soggy doughHow to choose it well?
Because you don't always have time to prepare homemade pie dough, it is possible to opt for a ready-to-use dough sold in the fresh or frozen departments. Especially since there are very good ones in supermarkets today. However, there is no question of choosing the first comer. First of all, take a look at the packaging and in particular at the composition. Track down additives (emulsifiers, preservatives, colorings, etc.) and favor a short list of ingredients. In general, it is better to leave aside pie doughs that contain ingredients that you do not know. Also beware of hidden sugars. If in doubt, do not hesitate to compare the labels of several references in order to find THE perfect paste.> Good to know: If you opt for a pure butter dough, the designations "concentrated butter" or "pastry butter" may appear in the list of ingredients. These terms simply refer to a type of concentrated butter from which the water has been removed.
For gourmets who wish to lighten their recipes, it is also possible to choose a paste based on vegetable oils and in particular a reference without palm oil. One opts for example for the new rolling pastes HERTA®. Listening to consumers, the brand completes its famous TARTE EN OR® range by replacing palm oil with a combination of pastry butter and sunflower oil. Thanks to this combination, TARTE EN OR® Palm Oil-Free puff and shortcrust pastry made in France has a better nutritional profile (less fat and saturated fatty acids compared to pure butter pastry). For example, TARTTE EN OR® Broken Palm Oil Free contains 14% fat and 5.9% saturated fatty acids, while pure butter shortcrust contains 20% fat and 13% acid. saturated fat. *Finally, if you prefer to opt for 100% vegetable, there are also many references in the supermarket. Gluten-free pastry also completes this offer. Something to make life in the kitchen easier for all gourmets without exception. *Average nutritional values (Anses - Table of nutritional composition of Ciqual foods 2017).
Our gourmet ideas to make with pie dough
Now that you know which dough to choose, it's time for indulgence and cooking. Get inspired with these everyday recipes. All you have to do is get started!
10 minutes4 people Quiche Lorraine10 minutes4 people Thin warm tart with sour apples20 minutes4 people Goat cheese in puff pastry20 minutes8 people Traditional pastry flan30 minutes4 people Pie with chicken, mushrooms and baconAlso read: - Puff pastry: from aperitif to dessert - Our best quiche recipes - Step by step: how to prepare a pear bourdaloue tart
Video by Claire Debruille
