What Is Pastry and How Can I Use It?

Here's everything worth knowing about pastry and how to pick it, what it is, how to store it, and what to use instead, plus 119 recipes to cook tonight.

What is pastry?

Pastry is the name given to various kinds of baked goods made from ingredients such as flour, butter, shortening, baking powder or eggs. Small cakes, tarts and other sweet baked goods are called "pastries".

Pastry may also refer to the dough from which such baked goods are made. Pastry dough is rolled out thinly and used as a base for bakedgoods. Common pastry dishes include pies, tarts and quiches.

Pastry is distinguished from bread by having a higher fat content, which contributes to a flaky or crumbly texture. A good pastry is light and airy and fatty, but firm enough to support the weight of the filling. When making a shortcrust pastry, care must be taken to blend the fat and flour thoroughly before adding any liquid. This ensures that the flour granules are adequately coated with fat and less likely to develop gluten. 

Nutrition

Where found

Pastry is usually found in the baking supplies section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group

Pastry is a member of the Baked Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

How much does pastry weigh?

Related

Baked Products

Recipes using pastry

There are 119 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Cherry Pie

Classic double-crust cherry pie with warm spices, buttery crust, and tart cherries. A timeless dessert that works equally well with fresh or canned fruit.

Very Moist Pumpkin Pie

A very moist, custardy pumpkin pie spiced with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and clove. Lightened up with sugar substitute and skim milk for a lighter slice on the Thanksgiving table.

Dakota Prairie Pumpkin Pie

Dakota Prairie pumpkin pie recipe makes three classic 9-inch pies for the holiday table. Spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, enriched with milk and half-and-half, and baked into a silky custard.

Maple leaf Pumpkin Pie

Maple leaf pumpkin pie sweetens the spiced pumpkin custard with a half cup of pure maple syrup, then crowns the cooled pie with pastry maple leaves baked separately to a golden brown. A festive Canadian-style holiday dessert.

Maple leaf Pumpkin Pie

Maple leaf pumpkin pie sweetens the spiced pumpkin custard with a half cup of pure maple syrup, then crowns the cooled pie with pastry maple leaves baked separately to a golden brown. A festive Canadian-style holiday dessert.

All-American Cherry Pie

Classic homemade cherry pie with fresh tart cherries, tapioca thickening, and optional kirsch for depth. This all-American dessert features golden flaky crust and ruby-red fruit filling.

Kangaroo Striploin Tartlet with Sweet Potato & Bush Tomato Jus

Kangaroo striploin tartlet served with sweet potato (or kumara) and Australian Bush Tomato jus.

Five Cheese Quiche

Five cheeses made these tarts super cheesy, oozy and tasty. We made our own pastries that were buttery and flakey, also we used mini tartlets instead of 9-inch tart pan.

Lemon Party Meringue Pie

This perfect pie for a party is made with a rich and delicious lemon pie filling.

Lamb Shoulder in Pastry

Lamb shoulder in pastry, a British-style boneless lamb roast wrapped in flaky pastry and baked golden. A traditional Sunday-dinner centerpiece with countryside roots.

Floy Belle Bowen's Rhubarb Pie

Old-fashioned rhubarb pie with a double crust, egg-thickened filling, and just six ingredients. A tart, tangy heritage recipe baked at two temperatures for a flaky crust.

Ellen's Veggie Quiche

Simple veggie quiche with grated zucchini, carrots, and Swiss cheese in a rich egg custard. Only seven ingredients for an easy crustless-optional brunch.

Crustade of Chicken & Pigeon

Crustade of chicken and pigeon: a medieval-style savory custard tart of tender poached game and chicken with mushrooms and raisins, set in a spiced egg-and-stock custard. Old English flavors in a pastry case.

Hunter's Buns

Hunter's buns made with pastry dough kneaded with currants and brushed with milk before baking. A simple British-style tea bun that can be filled with jam for a sweeter treat.

Grandma's Tyler Pie

Tyler pie with a creamy egg-and-butter custard kissed with vanilla and lemon, baked into a flaky crust until set and golden. The old Southern chess pie variation named for the Texas town.

Gramma Bahrt's Salmon Piroghi

Gramma Bahrt's salmon piroghi, a hearty double-crust pie layered with stock-cooked rice, flaked salmon, hard-boiled eggs and buttery chives. A Russian-style salmon pie baked golden and glossy.

Fresh Raspberry Lattice Pie

Fresh raspberry pie with a woven lattice crust, made with real berries cooked down with cornstarch for a thick, glossy filling. Dusted with powdered sugar and garnished with chocolate leaves.

Mama's Rhubarb Pie

Mama's rhubarb pie is a heirloom double-crust dessert with a tart, juicy filling thickened just enough by flour and a beaten egg. Old-fashioned, fuss-free, and ready for ice cream.

Quiche Kenepuru

Quiche Kenepuru: a New Zealand-style mussel quiche with onion, cheese, cream, and marjoram in flaky pastry. Coastal Kiwi cooking at its most iconic.

Cranberry-Raisin Pie

Lattice-topped cranberry raisin pie with a buttery vanilla filling and a sparkle of coarse sugar on top. A gorgeous, tart-sweet holiday pie that's a bold change from the usual pumpkin.

Currant Wheels

Currant wheels are buttery pastry spirals filled with currants, sultanas, and chopped almonds, then topped with a simple sugar glaze while still hot. A European bakery classic in under an hour.

Mom's Best Tourtiere

Mom's best tourtiere is the classic French-Canadian pork pie: spiced ground pork with mace, sage and a little raisin, bound with grated potato in a flaky double crust. A treasured Quebec Christmas tradition.

Individual Fruit Tarts

Individual rustic fruit tarts with shortcrust pastry, apricot jam glaze, and thinly sliced apples or pears. A French-bistro dessert that bakes in 15 minutes and looks gorgeous.

Curry Puffs

Crisp deep-fried curry puffs filled with cooked lamb, curry powder, and mango chutney syrup. A classic Anglo-Indian party appetizer that can be made ahead.

Almond & Honey Cakes

These sweet and delicious cakes are filled with slivered almonds, honey and mixed candied fruit.

All 119 recipes