To work with different textures in pastry-making gives us the opportunity to create elaborations that provide customers with unique sensations. To achieve this goal, we need to know what the main textures are and how we can achieve them.
Why are textures important in pastry-making?
The texture of any pastry is particularly important when it comes to savouring them, as it becomes a basic element in offering a complete gastronomic experience. Thus, for example, obtaining contrasts, such as the union of crunchy or liquid elements in the same recipe, makes the consumer enjoy it much more. It even helps them to perceive the different flavours in a much less traditional way.
It is therefore worth considering techniques such as jelling. By jelling a particular product, we can ensure that its flavour remains on the palate for a longer period of time.
The 4 textures of pastry elaborations
If we apply the right texturising products, we will achieve:
- Jelly textures: they are very varied and adapt to all kinds of preparations. Among them, soft, hard or more elastic.
- Creamy textures: they give thickness and creaminess to liquids of all kinds. They are obtained by including fibers, stabilisers and thickeners in the recipe, cold or hot, depending on the product chosen.
- Airy textures: these are textures that are achieved by including air inside the liquid. One of the most common examples is mousse. Find more about these textures here.
- Crispy textures: they are dry to the palate, because they have almost no water. They can be achieved with specific ingredients or with the use of texturisers. Chocolates are one of the pastry recipes that can have this texture.
How to achieve the different textures?
If we want to achieve the different types of textures in pastry-making that are available, we can use various products of vegetable and animal origin. All of them are designed to accomplish a specific elaboration technique and replace traditional ingredients, such as eggs or sugar. In this way, recipes are more appealing in the mouth, but also healthier in many cases.
Crispy textures:
When it comes to providing this sensation, we can select one of the following ingredients:
- Crispy y Crispy wet proof: They are made with freeze-dried fruit juices. In this way, crunchy and very tasty pieces that do not lose their texture are obtained.
- Peta crispy: They are small pieces of sugar filled with a bubbly gas. They also have a flavored coating. They work well as a filling or topping for various preparations.
- Whole freeze-dried fruits and vegetables: They provide a lot of flavor.
- Caramelized nuts and seeds: They are very potent and have a sweetness that is not excessive.
Airy textures:
La lista de elementos que nos ayudan a conseguir texturas aéreas y esponjosas incluye:
- Albuwhip: Powdered egg albumin. Its main function is to whip up an aqueous liquid without the egg white. It offers texture stability, more air retention capacity and stands out because it allows the introduction of flavored liquids to any preparation.
- Potatowhip: Potato protein in powder form and without any odor. Therefore, it can be easily used in vegetarian and vegan recipes instead of traditional egg. It prepares non-fat liquids and is an airing, emulsifying and coagulating agent.
To find out more about airy textures, you may be interested in: What is aeration? Find out how to produce airy textures.
Creamy textures:
To achieve this type of texture in pastry, we can select thickening products or fibers:
- Cold Gelcrem: It is a thickener made from potato starch and has a very simple application. When added to a liquid, it gives a transparent, shiny result with a smooth texture. On the other hand, it does not present problems when mixed with acidic ingredients.
- Hot Inulin: This is a dietary fiber that comes from roots and tubers. It provides a creamy sensation, so it can replace greasy elements in any type of pastry recipe. For example, baked dough or ice cream.
- Cold Inulin: Like the previous one, it is an ingredient that comes from roots and tubers. It gives a creamy texture without having to incorporate fats or sugars to sweet preparations of all kinds, such as creams or meringues. It is also worth noting its slight sweetness. Its main application is in liquids and cold. We must mix it by stirring vigorously if we want to obtain the best results.
Jelly textures:
To achieve jelly textures, we can select the following components:
- Gelling agents of animal origin: They provide stability. They are proteins that resist freezing well and do not require the application of heat to hydrate.
- Vegetable gelling agents: They are made from different carbohydrates. They allow us to obtain different textures and are resistant to high temperatures.
The following products belong to these categories:
- Instangel: It is an instant and soft gelatin of animal origin. It is activated by cold.
- Gellan gum: A gelling agent derived from bacterial fermentation that does not alter if subjected to high temperatures. This means that it is very useful for use as a filling for bakeable doughs. It is transparent and has the advantage of gelling acidic liquids.
- Agar-agar: It is extracted from red algae and has a high jelling power. It is also slow jelling and resistant to high temperatures. It provides a particularly firm texture.
- Vegetable gelling agent: Fast gelling and suitable for liquid products with alcohol content. It stands out for its firm texture and high elasticity.
- Vegan mousse gelatine: It is an ingredient that comes from mixing agar-agar with starch from tapioca. It is therefore vegan, although it has the same characteristics as animal gelatine in the preparation of a mousse. Its use results in a gelatine that is strong, clean and pleasant to the palate.
In short, textures in pastry-making are a challenge that we must take on if we want to achieve excellence in this type of preparation. Knowing their basic characteristics is essential for anyone who wants to be a professional in this sector. If you want to know more about this subject, do not hesitate to contact us to get the training you need.