Behind every beautiful pastry lies a certain level of skill and expertise. Making pastry can be quite “tricky” and requires special handling, with several important points to consider to achieve the best results. Here are some tips to ensure your tart shell or pie shell is perfectly shaped:
1. Avoid Overworking the Dough
Overworking the dough will result in excessive gluten development. Gluten gives the dough elasticity, and when overworked dough is exposed to heat, it can quickly expand, pull away from the sides of the pan, and shrink.
2. Let the Pastry Dough Rest
Resting the dough helps prevent further gluten development. After the dough has been properly mixed and kneaded, it needs to rest completely to relax the elasticity that has formed. Let the dough rest for at least 30–60 minutes. The longer it rests, the better the results.
3. Chill in the Refrigerator or Freezer
Why do we need to chill or freeze the tart shell before baking? The butter in the pastry dough needs to be very cold or frozen. This helps prevent the dough from melting too quickly when placed in a hot oven, providing better stability and helping the tart shell maintain its shape during baking.
The extra care and effort involved in making tart shells will certainly pay off in the final result. However, ready-to-use tart shells are now available in a variety of shapes and delicious flavors.
La Kreiva Tart Shell is available in Chocolate, Original, and Black flavors, in both square and round shapes.
Let’s get creative with La Kreiva!
