Perform Baking Mise en Place – Pastry
Module Introduction:
The pastry section in a kitchen can be extremely important. Pastry is very versatile
and can be used as a savoury or sweet case to hold different fillings. It may also be
used for pies, pasties, tarts, flans, rolls, dumplings and fruit slices. In this module you
will appreciate and understand the importance of mise en place in preparing
pastries.
To make good pastry you must have a sound knowledge of the basic techniques and
in all cases you must follow the recipe carefully.
The areas that need special attention during preparation include:
 Ingredients – they must be of the highest quality and must always be
accurately measured.
 Combining of ingredients – very often it is crucial that ingredients are
combined in the exact order stated on the recipe.
 The temperature of the kitchen you are working in – in most cases a cool
kitchen is preferred so the pastry does not become sticky.
 Understanding the recipe – you must read the recipe and become familiar
with all of the stages involved in preparation.
As well as assembling and weighing of ingredients, you will also need to prepare
baking trays and in all cases you will need to pre-heat your oven.
Next, attention must be given to correctly cooking your product. This involves:
 Selecting the most suitable shelf in the oven.
 Carefully timing the cooking process.
 Being aware of the ways to test if your product is ready.
Equipment Required for Preparing and Cooking Pastry
Equipment and utensils for preparing pastries must be clean with no visible signs of
food debris or food particles.
It is important that you gather all equipment and utensils before you start working on
pastry. There are several reasons why this is recommended:
You do not want pastry ingredients to come to room temperature for longer than
necessary.
 Pastry making is messy. You do not want to stop kneading or rolling pastry to
collect forgotten ingredients or equipment.
Equipment that you may require includes:
 Kitchen scales.
 Electric mixers.
 Food processor/blender/mouli/grater.
 Rolling pin.
 Pastry rack for cooling.
 Marble slab for rolling out pastries.
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Trays/baking sheets.
Saucepans.
Measuring cups/measuring spoons.
Scrapers/wooden spoons.
Lifters/palette knife.
Pastry cutters.
Piping bags and nozzles.
Greaseproof paper/parchment paper/foil.
Storage containers.
Sieve/sugar dredger.
Mixing bowls.