Providing Flakiness in Pastries

Flakiness refers to the tendency of pastry to form thin, flat, often crisp layers. Flakiness requires that flattened chunks of solid fat separate bits of dough. Flaky pastries include those in which fat is repeatedly rolled and folded (laminated) with dough, as in puff pastry, croissant, and Danish pastry doughs. It also includes pastries in which chunks of fat are cut into dough, as in pie dough (Figure 9.15) and blitz puff pastry. Whether the fat is layered with dough or remains as chunks, the later the fat melts in the oven, the greater the flakiness and also the leavening.