and 25% solids at kitchen temperature, and at
the temperatures that the pastry dough reaches
as it’s mixed and formed. It turns out that
butter has the right consistency for making
pastry in a relatively narrow temperature
range, between 58 and 68ºF/15–20ºC. Lard is
properly workable at only slightly warmer
temperatures, up to 75ºF/25ºC. Our flavorful
natural fats easily get too soft in the kitchen to
make good pastry. This is why pastry makers
often prechill ingredients and utensils, work
on a cold marble surface that keeps the
ingredients cool during the mixing and rolling
out, and value assistants with constitutionally
cold hands.
Fat Consistency: Shortenings Are Forgiving
Manufacturers of vegetable shortenings
control the consistency of their products by
controlling how much of the base oil’s
unsaturated fat is hydrogenated (p. 801).
Standard cake shortening has the desirable