Flakiness and Tenderness

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top 1000The Simple Art of Perfect Baking
The Simple Art of Perfect Baking

By Flo Braker

Published 1984

  • About

Both flakiness and tenderness are desirable in a crust, but one does not necessarily follow the other. Flaky crusts are tender, but tender crusts are not always flaky. Whether your pastry is primarily flaky or tender depends on what method you use to disperse the fat.

A flaky dough has random nuggets of firm, cold fat interspersed throughout the mixture; rolling creates different concentrations of fat in layers. In the oven, the liquid in the dough converts to steam and pushes upward, creating air pockets and accentuating the layered effect. When completely baked, this dough will have a flaky texture.