Pastry is one of terms that is frequently used in conjunction with bread and cake. Pastry has several connotations in society, based on each person's perspective and experience. Very uncommon, some describe pastry as include all varieties of cakes. Some people interpret it as tiered dough.
Thus, in order to better comprehend the actual definition, please read the explanation below till the end, OK?
Understanding
Pastry is a field that focuses on serving and processing cake-type dishes. In the world of hospitality, pastry is indeed included in the food and beverage department, where the task is to make cakes and desserts for breakfast, coffee breaks, and lunch or dinner needs.
In general, pastry is a cake made from laminated dough or thin layered dough, also known as puff, and made from non-laminated dough or whose dough is more similar to bread dough in general.
Pastry comes from the French word "Pastisseri" which means pastries. Therefore, pastry can also be called a scientific field that studies the ins and outs of oriental and continental cakes.
Some experts put forward the following understanding.
- Pastry is a part of the kitchen that produces special types of bread, cake and dessert.
- Pastry is part of the food product contained in the scope of food and beverage which has the task of making desserts, snacks, or accompanying drinks, such as cakes and bread.
It can be said that pastry is a type of processed dessert which is a combination of ingredients that have a sweet taste and contain fat, which is then baked or baked, then served with drinks such as coffee.
Well, what distinguishes between bread and pastry is the fat content. The fat content in the pastry dough is higher (roll-in fat) so it can give a flaky or folded and crumbly texture.
Usually, what distinguishes one pastry from another is the dough used, the baking process, and the texture. Well, here are the types you need to know.
Types of Pastry
1. Flaky

This dough is crumbly of dough and is the result of pea-sized pieces of butter and delicate handwork. If you over-mix this dough, it will result in a tough, crumbly cake, which is the last thing you want in pie making.
2. Shortcrust
This is a variation of the pastry that is so easy to make, it also takes a toll on too much work. This dough is much more cohesive than pastries, as it is often used as a firm base for tarts. In fact, the dough is usually very sweet and firm, not too dissimilar to the dough for shortbread cookies.
We also know ordinary shortcrust with a type of pie which is identical to the fruit pieces on it. The texture of this pastry is dry on the outside but there is a wet dough inside.
To get a texture like that, you need to use ingredients which are generally made from flour, sugar, salt, fat, and water. Then all the ingredients are mixed according to the measure and then baked for a certain duration to get a texture that is dry on the outside and soft on the inside.
3. Puffs
Puff is a pastry that is characterized by fat and air trapped between layers of dough to get a soft, layered, and crunchy finish.
This time-consuming type of cake is considered the choice of pastry chefs and is well worth the time to make.
To make the texture of the puffs, usually the basic dough part of the pastry is smeared with butter and then folded many times, so that when baked, it will get folded and crunchy results.
4. Coarse Puffs
This type is a cross between a pastry and a puff. How to make this dough is a little troublesome. However, these pastries are perfect for the modern home baker who doesn't want to invest in pastries or puffs.
The coarse puff of this type can be cold butter, cubes, or frozen butter mixed with flour, salt, and cold water. Water translates flour into a stiff dough, which contains lumps of butter, hence the coarse puffs. This type of pastry dough is usually used to make sausage rolls and pastries.
5. Choux

Choux or pâte choux or a type of cake that is often known as eclairs is a type of pastry made from flour, water, butter, and eggs. The texture is thick and sticky too.
What distinguishes this type of pastry from the others is the manufacturing process, where it is cooked directly on the pan, without folding or grinding it first. The dough is whipped together on the stove until it forms a thick mass. This process traps the steam, which is released in the oven, and creates the puff pastry.
This type of pastry has a soft texture, but is empty and hollow inside, usually filled with cream or fla.
6. Phyllo
Phyllo is a type of paper-thin pastry, this type of pastry is popular in Mediterranean-style baking. Filo is traditionally layered and divided around the filling, then brushed with butter before cooking in the oven. Filo is usually made from a mixture of flour, water, salt, and also a little oil.
This type of pastry is quite versatile and can be folded, layered, rolled, or even ruffled into whatever you desire. Through the baking process, the texture of the resulting pastry is layered texture but still feels very crunchy.
This type of pastry is usually used for spanakopita and tiropita for savory types of pastries, and baklava for sweet pastries.
7. Croissant
Croissant is a type of pastry that we usually enjoy as a companion to coffee or tea, usually served in many coffee shops or cafes.
The main ingredients in making croissants are fat from butter or oil and wheat flour which is then added with yeast. The leavening process usually takes about 30 minutes to get the dough that expands perfectly.
Croissant can be easily recognized because they are shaped very much like a crescent moon, and have a crumbly and folded texture. So, it is perfect for your tea or coffee companion during your free time.
8. Danish
Danish is a type of pastry that is actually almost similar to a croissant but has a difference in its preparation which requires a longer time. This is because during the leavening process, it takes a long time for the dough to expand, especially during the baking process.
9. Suet Crust

This traditional English cake is used for steamed or boiled pudding, roly-poly pudding, and also dumplings. You need to know, that the Suet referred to here is white meat fat, like eggs or 'salt'. That's why usually you can find this type of pastry in savory foods.
This pastry dough will expand when you bake it in the oven. This pastry dough can expand because the dough is added with a little baking powder. Besides that, the dough is also added with suet, so this dough tastes delicious.
The difference with Bakeries
The pastry is a term used to describe the grouping of cakes or dough skins to make pastries such as pies.
While the bakery is part of the pastry that usually handles the manufacture of bread, danish, sponge cake, and other types of cakes that are made through a baking process. The bakery itself comes from the word "bake" which means baking.
When viewed from the materials used, actually more or less the same between the two. We can find ingredients such as flour, sugar, salt, and water as basic ingredients for making pastry and bakery.
However, there are also ingredients that are unique that you can find in each dough, for example, the yeast that we usually find in bakery ingredients functions as a dough developer. While the pastry generally has a lot of fat content in it.
So, from this brief understanding, you can clearly see the differences and similarities between pastry and bakery. The pastry is a cake originating from Europe with the basic ingredients of flour, water, sugar, and shortening, and has a slightly soft, crunchy texture and is also layered. In pastry, fat plays a role in shaping the appearance of the layers in the cake.
Meanwhile, a bakery is a cake from the Middle East with the basic ingredients of flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Bakery has a soft and fibrous texture which is supported by fat to strengthen the flour bond and as a flavor enhancer.
1. Scope of Pastry
Types of pastry are actually still divided into two, namely continental cakes and oriental cakes. The difference is divided based on the use of fat in the cake. Continental cakes, usually use solid fats, such as butter, margarine, and shortening. Meanwhile, oriental cakes usually use liquid fats such as oil and coconut milk.
From this explanation, it can be said that those included in the continental cake category include western and modern cakes, such as tarts, pastries, puddings, and ice cream. Meanwhile, we can find oriental cakes in various Indonesian cakes and Asian countries such as Thailand, Korea, China and Japan.
2. Scope of Bakeries
For bakery, it is made using various basic ingredients such as eggs, sugar, salt, fat, and milk. Quick breads and leavened products are also included in the bakery section. In Indonesia, yeast products are a kind of apem cake, bika ambon, surabi, and so on. Whereas quick bread which means bread with a short manufacturing process with a faster fermentation process and is also easy to find in various types of modern bread that are usually sold in malls.
3. Use of flour
The last difference between bakery and pastry is clearly visible in the type of flour used. Pastry flour has the lowest gluten percentage of 8-9%. While the flour used in bakery contains the highest gluten, which is 11-12%.
Now you all know that pastry is a cake from Europe which is different from bakery. After knowing the difference, don't get confused again in the mention. So, for those of you who are interested in pastry, you can see various related products that you can get at https://dailybaguette.co.id/