difference between a crumbly texture and a
tough one. Eggs are often used to provide
richness and added cohesiveness to crumbly
pastries, and of course also contribute water.
Various dairy products, including milk,
cream, sour cream, crème fraîche, and cream
cheese may replace some or all of the water,
and at the same time provide flavor and fat as
well as sugars and proteins for the browning
reactions. Salt is added mainly for flavor,
though it does have a tightening effect on
gluten.
Cooking Pastries
Baking Pans Two portions of the same pastry
dough, baked in the same oven but in different
kinds of pan, will cook differently. Shiny pans
reflect much of the oven’s radiant heat (p.
782) away from the crust and so are slow
cooking. Black pans absorb most of the
radiant heat and conduct it to the crust, and