Pies and Galettes: Unsweetened Short Pastry

Ahigh proportion of fat (shortening) and a low proportion of liquid in relation to the flour in pastries provide a tender, slightly crisp, somewhat flaky result. This is because the fat coats the gluten strands in the dough, shortening them and preventing them from forming a strong bond or network. (That is why fat is called shortening.) Short is a common reference for these pastries, which break easily and cleanly when cut with a knife or fork.

Short pastry is divided into two groups: unsweetened (pie and galette doughs) and sweetened (tart doughs).