Pastry making flowered in the
Mediterranean region in the late Middle Ages
and early Renaissance, when puff and cream
puff pastries first appeared. By the time of La
Varenne in the 17th century, both crumbly and
puff pastries were standard preparations. The
bread-pastry hybrids are a more recent
invention from the late 19th and 20th
centuries.
Pastry Styles
There are several different styles of pastry,
each with a different texture that is created by
the kinds of particles into which they come
apart when chewed.
Crumbly pastries — short pastry, pâte
brisée — come apart into small, irregular
particles.
Flaky pastries — American pie crusts —
come apart in small, irregular, thin