Why is important to cut the butter into the flour?

Making Flaky Pastry “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.

What is the purpose of cutting in butter?

The goal of blending the butter into the dry ingredients is to coat some of the flour with fat so that it can’t react with the wet ingredients and form gluten. No gluten means a light crumbly texture.

What is the purpose of cutting the fat into the flour mixture?

Therefore, the main purpose of cutting fat into the flour is to shorten the protein strands so that you can have a more tender and flaky baked good. This is also why professional bakers often refer to fat in general as shortening, and not just the product that is called shortening.

How do you cut butter and shortening into flour?

Cut the butter into 1 tablespoon sized slices. Add the flour and cold butter to a bowl. Use two knives and literally cut the butter into the flour until you have little tiny bits of butter. Proceed with your recipe as instructed.

What do you use to cut in butter?

Tools Needed to Cut in Butter

1. A Pastry Cutter – The tool we recommend most would be a baking tool called a pastry cutter, also called a pastry blender, (seen in the pictures below).
2. Two butter knives – Two knives held together at an angle may be substituted for a pastry blender when cutting in butter.

How do you soften butter and why does it matter?

“Simply take a stick of butter, place it inside a food storage bag, and beat it with a rolling pin. Not only is this the most efficient way to quickly soften butter, it’s also oddly therapeutic.” Or maybe not so oddly.

Does real butter need to be refrigerated?

Both unsalted butter and whipped butter should be refrigerated. However, if the temperature in your kitchen goes above 70 degrees F in your kitchen, any butter (salted, unsalted and whipped) should go in the refrigerator to avoid spoilage. You can even store your butter in the freezer for up to a few months.

What tool do you use to cut butter into flour?

pastry blender
Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour. Continue cutting the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, the butter pieces will be about the size of peas. This is the perfect size to create the flaky layers.

How do you cut butter into flour without a food processor?

Fork: Cut the butter (or whatever fat you’re using) into small pieces. Add it to the bowl with your flour and other dry ingredients. Then, use a fork to mash the butter into the flour, until you achieve a crumbly consistency.