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Pastry

In making pastry, the first thing to be remembered is that every article used in its preparation should be scrupulously clean; and in order to ensure this it is best to have all the utensils washed and thoroughly dried directly after they are used, and dusted when they are again required. In addition to this there must be good materials, a well-regulated oven, a cool room, and a cook who brings to her work a cool, light, quick hand, close attention, and a little experience. There are four principal kinds of pastry: puff-paste, or feuilletage; short crust, for family use; standing crust, for meat and fish pies; and brioche paste, which is a sort of dough used for loaves, rolls, and buns. As cools hands are required, it is best to wash them in water as hot as can be borne a minute or two before making the pastry. The heat of the oven should in most cases be moderate, and the door should be only opened when it is absolutely necessary during the process of baking. The best way of ascertaining if the oven is properly heated is to bake a small piece of pastry in it before putting in the pie or tart. Standing crusts require a quicker oven than ordinary pastry. In all cases wetting the pastry much will make it tough.