hero course what is the purpose of cutting the shortening into the flour

by Yolanda Hintz 9 min read

The purpose of cutting butter or solid shortening into flour is to create a flaky texture in pie pastry and cookies. This flaky texture is developed by coating the flour proteins with shortening, interrupting the gluten formation.

How do you cut the shortening into the flour?

The purpose of cutting the shortening into the flour in a pastry crust is to give the dough its flaky property when cooked. 9. What fat produces the best pie pastry? Why that one?

How to cook and bake with shortening?

3 a tool that can be used to cut shortening into. 3. A tool that can be used to cut shortening into flour is a . a. cutting board b. rolling pin c. wire whisk d. pastry blender. 4. This hand held tool is used to smoothly blend ingredients, fold ingredients together, or whip cream. a.

What is the purpose of cutting fat into flour?

Apr 16, 2013 · It helps to give good volume by delaying the coagulation of egg protein and the pasting of starch in flour. Sugar also contributes to the moistness of cakes. Because of the aggregation of egg proteins during cooking, eggs not only add air to cakes, but they also have a structural role in the finished product.

What is the process of making shortening?

Hand test for flour strength (from left to right): bread flour, pastry flour, cake flour White Wheat Flour • All-purpose flour combines hard and soft wheats and thus lives in the middle on the protein scale, at 10 to 12 percent.

What is used to cut shortening butter into flour?

0:502:21Cutting Butter into Flour - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou can also use two knives one in each hand moving in opposite directions. If you use yourMoreYou can also use two knives one in each hand moving in opposite directions. If you use your fingertips.

What is the purpose of cutting method in baking?

"Cutting in" means incorporating the butter into the flour in such a way that little lumps of the raw butter remain whole within the flour mixture. When the dough is baked, these little lumps create separation in the structure of the finished product, which is what gives it that flaky consistency.Mar 25, 2020

What is the name of the tool used to cut the shortening into flour?

A pastry cutter, also known as a pastry blender or dough blender, is used to work solid fats like butter, shortening, or lard into flour to create a dough.May 2, 2020

Why do you cut in the fat into the flour in the biscuit method of mixing?

This process serves two purposes. The first is to coat the flour in fat helping to reduce gluten development. The second is to distribute little pieces of solid fat throughout the dough which will melt in the oven creating little pockets of flakiness.Nov 4, 2018

What does cut shortening into flour mean?

"Cutting in" means working a solid fat into a flour mixture with a pastry blender (or two knives) until the fat is evenly distributed in little crumbs with a few larger, pea-sized pieces. The smaller crumbs act as a tenderizer for your dough and the larger pieces are what make the pastry flaky.Mar 12, 2014

What do you use to cut in shortening?

0:000:47How to Cut In Shortening - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSimply hold the handle and push the blender into the flour. And shortening continue pulling theMoreSimply hold the handle and push the blender into the flour. And shortening continue pulling the pastry blender out of the mixture. And then pushing it back in with a rocking motion.

What is the meaning of cutting and mixing?

To mince food is to cut it into extremely small pieces: Mince the garlic and add it to the pan. Meanwhile, if you grate food, usually cheese, you cut it into many small pieces by rubbing it against a metal object with small, sharp holes (a grater): grated cheese. And so to the mixing.Aug 30, 2017

What is the purpose of folding the dough?

Punching your dough leads to bread with smaller, more tender crumbs. Folding dough achieves the same function of removing the air bubbles, but it also allows your bread to rise higher and creates a looser crumb once it's baked. These desirable qualities are found in artisan bread like baguettes or dinner rolls.

What is the purpose of kneading?

The purpose of kneading any dough is to develop gluten, and incorporate micro bubbles into the mass of the dough which will inflate during proofing and baking. The more a dough is kneaded, the tighter and more regular a baked loaf's crumb will become. Sandwich breads are kneaded more.

What does cutting the fat mean?

New Word Suggestion. To cut off people who are no longer your friends or people online that haven't been on in the last year.

Why is it important to cut solid fat into dry ingredients before adding liquids?

To "cut in" in serves the function of dstributing the fat particles into the dry ingredients, typically flour, and by coating and lubricating flour granules. This method greatly reduces the ability of the gluten proteins in the flour to create gluten when mixed later with a liquid, such as water or milk.

What will you do to the shortening if you want to make quick breads using the biscuit method?

Cut your very cold fat into about 1/2 inch chunks (if you're using shortening, or part shortening, put that stuff in the freezer. I vote all butter, personally, for flavor and for no trans fats, but do what you want). Toss the butter/shortening with the dry ingredients.

What is shortening in cooking?

What Is Shortening? By definition, shortening is any type of fat that is solid at room temperature; lard, hydrogenated solidified oils, margarine, and even butter can be used as shortening. However, in the modern kitchen, the word "shortening" mainly refers to hydrogenated oils, such as vegetable shortening.

Why is vegetable shortening used in baking?

Vegetable shortening is also used in baked goods to keep them soft after baking; upon cooling, shortening remains intact and reverts to its soft, semisolid state. For this reason, cookies and other baked goods made with shortening tend to be soft, while those made with butter have a crispier texture.

What is Crisco shortening?

Popular brands, such as Crisco (short for "crystallized cottonseed oil"), soon became a staple in kitchens as an inexpensive alternative to lard and butter, and, for some Americans, Crisco is now synonymous with the "shortening" name. Though it varies by brand, most modern vegetable shortening is made with hydrogenated palm, soybean, ...

How long does shortening last?

Shortening has a long shelf life; its low moisture level delays rancidity and increases the stability of the fat, allowing it to be used repeatedly with less degradation. Unopened, vegetable shortening can last for up to two years; once opened, it will stay at its peak for about a year. It should be stored in a cool, dark place and requires no refrigeration. Shortening has gone bad when it develops an off smell, taste, or appearance.

What is shortening in pie crust?

Shortening is often on the ingredient list in certain traditional Southern recipes, like fried chicken and flaky biscuits, and is the key to perfect pie crust and tender sugar cookies.

How many calories are in vegetable shortening?

Because it is 100 percent fat, vegetable shortening is high in calories and fat, containing around 113 calories and 12.7 grams fat per tablespoon. There are no carbs, protein, vitamins (with the exception of vitamin K, though it's minimal), or minerals in vegetable shortening.

How to cook with shortening?

How to Cook and Bake With Shortening. In order to create a shortening effect in dough, a solid fat is “ cut ” into flour or a dry flour mixture. This can be accomplished with a pastry cutter, two knives, a food processor, or even your hands. The fat is repeatedly cut into smaller pieces and coated in flour.

How to make a coarse meal from shortening?

Scoop up some of the coated pieces and loose flour. Rub the shortening pieces through your fingers, breaking them into smaller pieces. Repeat step 6 until the mixture is loose and crumbly and resembles coarse meal.

Why is shortening called shortening?

Most people use butter, lard or solid vegetable shortening, but shortening can be any edible fat. It's called "shortening" because of what it does to the flour. When moistened and mixed, flour develops gluten, strands of protein that give baked goods their structure.

How to make shortening into a mold?

You should be able to mold it with your fingers. Mix the dry ingredients, including flour, according to your recipe. Cut the shortening into large chunks. Add the shortening all at once to the dry ingredients.

What is the purpose of cutting in shortening?

kzenon/iStock/GettyImages. Cutting in shortening is a crucial step in many baking recipes, especially pie dough - it's the technique that helps ensure flakiness. Cutting in is easy, but some ways are better than others.

Can you mix shortening with a fork?

It's important that the pieces be of different sizes - from olive- to pea-sized. You can mix in shortening with a large fork, two knives that you draw toward each other or a tool called ...

How to make a dough with shortening?

Use a food processor to cut the dry ingredient blend with the shortening. Add your flour to the food processor bowl, then add the shortening in small chunks. Pulse the food processor a few times until the dough turns crumbly.

How to cut shortening into flour?

Mix the dough mixture gently using your fingers as an alternate way to cut the shortening into the flour. Hold your hand in a claw shape and swirl it around the bowl quickly until a crumbly dough appears. Work fast so as to not melt the shortening from the heat of your hand. Run your hand under cold water for a few seconds, then dry thoroughly before mixing the dough.

How to make shortening look crumbly?

Hold the pastry blender around the handle and press the blades into the flour/shortening mixture. Use the pastry blender in this manner all the way around the bowl until the shortening resembles flour-covered pieces of rice -- the dough should look crumbly at this point.

How to make a dough without a pastry blender?

Use two table knives if you do not have a pastry blender. Hold a knife in each hand and make slicing motions into the flour/shortening mixture. Continue cutting until the dough appears crumbly.

What is short dough?

Things You'll Need. Short dough products, such as pie crust and biscuits, are made using shortening. The best pie crusts and biscuits are ones that are flaky, tender and melt in your mouth. The key to making short doughs (made without yeast) such as these is to cut in the proper amount of fat, such as butter or shortening, ...

Can shortening be cut into dough?

Shortening, which is almost always hydrogenated vegetable oil, can be cut into dough in several ways, including with the use of a pastry blender, knives, or even your fingers. Advertisement. Video of the Day.

Can you make short dough without yeast?

The key to making short doughs (made without yeast) such as these is to cut in the proper amount of fat, such as butter or shortening, so that pockets form when the dough is baked, creating the desired pastry. Shortening, which is almost always hydrogenated vegetable oil, can be cut into dough in several ways, including with the use ...

What is the most common way to cut fat into flour?

The most common times you will cut fat into a flour in a baking recipe is with pie crust and pastry crusts, biscuits, and scones.

Why is shortening called shortening?

Well believe it or not, shortening got it’s name precisely because of what it does to flour when it is worked through before liquid is added. The process of cutting fat into the flour serves the purpose of shortening the protein strands in the flour. When liquid is introduced to flour, those protein strands begin developing into what we all ...

What does it mean to cut in fat?

What does it mean to “Cut in fat”. The instruction to “cut in fat” is a common instruction in baking recipes. The process of cu tting in fat is very simple and a necessary skill for beautiful flaky and tender baked goods such as biscuits, scones, pie and pastry crusts. In the Ask BB Series, I answer reader questions regarding baking science, ...

What does "cutting in fat" mean?

Cutting in the fat in a baking recipe is the process of working fat (typically butter, lard, or shortening) into the dry ingredients until it is starting to coat the flour and the pieces ...

Why is it important to cut fat into flour?

When liquid is introduced to flour, those protein strands begin developing into what we all lovingly know as gluten. This cutting process helps to shorten the protein strands and reduce the gluten development once the liquid is added. Therefore, the main purpose of cutting fat into the flour is to shorten the protein strands ...

What is the best tool to cut fat?

There are several tools you can use to cut in fat. I personally use a pastry cutter, also known as a pastry blender, which is just a tool with thin metal wires attached to the handle.

Can you cut butter into flour?

Typically, when a recipe calls for fat to be cut into the flour it will also call for the fat the be cold. Not always, but most of the time. If the fat you are using is butter, you will want to start by cutting it into small pieces. This will help you to work it into the flour more easily and evenly. If the fat you are using is lard ...