12.9: Common Defects in Pastry and Pies and their Probable Causes
- Page ID
- 29446
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Tough Pastry
High protein flour
Substitution of equal amount of butter or margarine for fat
Insufficient fat
Fat not distributed well enough
Too much water
Uneven distribution of water, requiring more manipulation
Over stirring after water is added
Dough not rolled immediately
Re-rolling
Excess flour on rolling board
Crumbly, Mealy (not flaky) Crust and//or Too Tender to Remove from Rolling Board
Low protein flour
Too much fat
Fat too soft (warm) or melted
Fat cut in too finely
Too little water
Under-mixing after water is added
Reduced flakiness, or flakes not separated
Low protein flour
Not enough water to provide steam
Under-mixing
Over-mixing
Excess shrinking or misshapen crust
Dough stretched when shaping in pan
Dough rolled to uneven thickness
Excess re-rolling or patching dough
Also see “Tough Pastry”
Puffing of a pie shell baked without filling
Insufficient crust perforations
Crust too brown or browned very rapidly
Rolled too thin
Very dry
Uneven browning
Dough rolled to uneven thickness
Edges too high
Pie placed too high or too low in oven
Pie placed too close to oven walls or to other pan
Not enough filling
Crust doesn’t brown
Too little fat
Over-mixing
Too much flour used when rolling dough
Crust rolled too thick
Wet dough
Soaked lower crust*
Shiny pie tin
Filling allowed to stand in crust before baking
Placing pie pan on foil or baking sheet
Too low oven temperature
Too short baking time
Cold filling
Also see “Crust doesn’t brown”
Custard pie:
Overcooked filling (syneresis)
Two-crust fruit pie
Fruit filling not thickened before baking
Insufficient vents
Break or tear in bottom crust
* Suggestions to prevent soaked lower crust
Use high initial baking temperature
Custard Pies:
Brush crust with slightly beaten egg white and bake at high temperature for a few minutes to coagulate egg white
Use a filling with a high egg-to-milk ratio
Preheat milk for filling
Chill pie crust for 1 hour before filling
Partially pre-bake the crust before adding the filling
Fruit Pies:
Coat with melted butter
One Crust Pie, e.g. Pumpkin or Custard
Crust rises through the filling
Tear or hole in crust
Two-Crust Fruit Pies
Top crust “tents”
Inadequate vents in top crust
Fresh fruit was not packed firmly
Pie filling boils over
Too much filling
Top and bottom crusts not sealed together well
Insufficient thickening of filling
Inadequate vents in top crust
Vents too close to edge of pie
Oven shelf not level
Uneven thickness of top crust
Over-baking
Cream Pie Meringues
See Common Defects in Egg Foam Products in section 10.4