When pastries are too crumbly? Tips to store pastries perfectly

Pastries are only perfectly made at the bakery? No this is not true because anyone who wants to bake pastry items at home can do it perfectly. If you want to bake perfect pastries after simply reading the method, you may not succeed. Most people bake pastries at home and want the best texture.

During this practice, they face a common problem of crumbly pastry products. Pastry that is too crumbly is not what we want actually. Here are some possible reasons why your pastry might be too crumbly, as well as some tips to help you fix it:

Less liquid in pastries dough:

If during making pastry dough you have not added sufficient liquid, the pastry will be crumbly and dry. So, during dough preparation add sufficient liquid like milk or water to make it sticky and soft.

Overhandling the pastry dough:

If you have overhandled the pastry dough during its kneading, the resulting pastry items will be dry and crumbly. Avoid too much kneading the dough either it will not result in perfect pastries.

Extra flour in pastries:

If you have put extra flour in the dough, then your pastries will not be nicely textured. Make sure to properly measure the flour to use it according to recipe directions.

Less amount of fat:

Adding fat like butter or ghee is necessary for the dough to get a flaky texture. Your pastry products will be crumbly and dry if enough fat is not present in the dough.

Using the wrong type of flour:

As there are different types of flour available containing varying degrees of proteins. If you have not selected the right type of flour for pastry, it can also give unwanted texture. Do not use bread flour and prefer pastry flour.

Not using chilled dough:

After making the dough keep it in the refrigerator to chill it properly. If you have not chilled the dough at least 30 minutes before rolling it. 

Make sure to prevent all of the above faults during making pastries to get the exact nice texture of your desire.

Tips to avoid crumbly pastries:

If you want to make perfect pastry goods, you should have to follow these tips.

Using the right flour:

Use high gluten-containing flour to prepare the pastry dough. Such flour will not give a crumbly texture and after baking bakery product particles will be held together.

Taking chilled ingredients:

Use properly chilled butter or shortening and ice-cold water in the dough. In this way, fat will not melt too quickly and you will get a flaky texture.

Prevent over-kneading the dough:

Do not overwork the dough, as this will result in gluten getting tough. Just mix the flour with other ingredients to get them together and leave them.

Adding enough liquid:

To properly wet the ingredients use a sufficient amount of liquid in the dough. Add the liquid according to instructions of the recipe and do not add too much milk or water. The extra liquid in the dough will make it sticky and not suitable for rolling.

Allowing the dough to rest:

After you have prepared the dough keep t in the refrigerator for thirty minutes. It will cause the gluten in the dough to rest and rolling the dough will be easy.

Gently rolling the dough:

Use gentle hands to roll the dough gradually. If you quickly roll the dough, the gluten will become tough, and rolling will not be easy.

To get flaky, delicious, and tender pastry make sure to follow all the tips for your perfect baking.

How to fix flaws in the pastries?

There may be different problems that cause flaws in the texture of pastry but they can be prevented or solved. There are different tips according to the nature of the issue in the consistency of the bakery item.

Too dry pastries:

If pastries made by you are too dry in texture, you should add a small amount of liquid like milk or water to the dough. Mix them well to get a workable consistency of dough. 

Too moist pastries:

If pastries appear to be moist or wet then you can add a small amount of flour to the dough. And then roll it again to give shape.

Tough pastries:

If pastry items have tough consistency, then it means you have over-kneaded the dough. Do not overwork with the dough and allow it to set for some time. If you have already rolled the pastry products then gently sprinkle some liquid like milk on it to get its normal texture. You can also unfold the pies to allow them to set and then again fold them gently to make their layers.

Too crumbly pastries:

If the pastries have a too crumbly appearance then it means the dough was too dry. Add some fat and milk I the dough and work with it gently. Again prevent over-kneading the dough.

Burnt pastries:

If you have put pastry items for baking and forgot due to any reason then you can do just one thing. If the edges of pastries are just burnt then trim off the edges and consume the rest part. However, if all the pies or other bakery items are burnt completely then you have only to repent of it.

Undercooked pastries:

If pastries are undercooked it means they require more baking time. Then put them again in the oven for some time. During this time keep an eye on the pastries to avoid their burning.

Why it is important to store pastries properly?

Pastries have a delicious taste and are made in almost every home. But one of the biggest problems is that they require time to make. In order to serve them to guests, it is important to have pie crust puffs already prepared. When most people think about storing or freezing pastry. They have questions, can we freeze pastries and how can we freeze them.

My answer to them is yes, many types of pastries can be frozen for later use. Some common types of pastries that can be frozen include:

Puff pastries:

You can freeze the puffs either before or after the baking process. To freeze the puff before baking you should roll out the pastries and cut them into your favorite shapes. After cutting the pastries, freeze them on a baking sheet to give them a solid texture. 

You can store the frozen puff in an airtight jar. If you want to store the pastries for three months, then keep them in a freezer bag. If you want to bake them, put the frozen pastries on a baking sheet and enjoy puffs.

Pie crust:

You can freeze the pie crust before rolling them or after that. If you want to freeze them before rolling them out, then use plastic wrap to wrap the dough and freeze them. After freezing them use an airtight container to store them. You can serve them to guest easily.

However, if you want to freeze pie crust after rolling them, take a pie dish to put rolled-out dough in it. Then cover these with plastic wrap and freeze them. After freezing you can store the pie crust in the freezer for three months. 

Cookies:

You can also freeze different types of cookies to use them later. Many people also store cookies to serve them to guests. If you desire to freeze them before baking, just roll the dough of the cookies to make balls. After that freeze the balls on the baking sheet to get a solid dough. 

After freezing the balls you have to store them in an airtight jar. If you are going to freeze cookies after baking them, then allow them to cool at room temperature. Then just then put the cooled cookies in an airtight jar to store them.

Why it is important to store pastries properly?

It is important to store pastry and other bakery items properly to keep them fresh and maintain their flavor and texture. If you do not store pastries correctly, they get dry and stale or their taste gets faded. Following are the reasons to store pastries correctly.

Keeping pastries fresh:

It is best to consume pastries fresh as these are baked. However, if you want to keep them fresh for a long time, make sure to store them properly. Proper storing prevents these from becoming dry, stale, or becoming moldy.

Maintaining texture:

A variety of bakery products are available having different textures. Properly storing pastries helps to keep their texture safe and secure. For example, if you store croissants in an airtight container, then these will remain crispy and flaky. However, it is best to store cakes in the refrigerator to keep them moist. 

Preserving the flavor:

If you do not store your bakery item properly, their flavor will deteriorate. If pastries are exposed to moisture, air or heat their flavor can deteriorate and cause them to become rancid. However, if you have properly managed the storage of pastries, they will retain their original flavor.

Preventing wastage:

If you have not stored puffs or pastry accurately, they will spoil and go to waste. But to prevent pies from spoiling and wastage, make sure to store them carefully. After taking proper measures to store pastries, you can enjoy them fresh at any time. 

If anyone eats spoiled or moldy baked products, it can cause food poisoning and other diseases. Make sure to consume fresh and original flavored pastries always. Eat fresh and healthy to stay healthy and active.

Also, read Cake bake without oven