CPM Flaky & Short Crust Dough Methods 3 â Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the term for the technique of pressing fat into flour until it resembles coarse cornmeal, used for mealy pie crust?
- Fraisage
- Cutting in
- Rubbing to fine crumbs (Correct answer)
- Laminating
Correct answer: Rubbing to fine crumbs
Rubbing or cutting fat into flour until fine, even crumbs are formed coats flour proteins thoroughly with fat, producing a tender, mealy crust with less flakiness.
Question 2: A pùte sucrée is best described as:
- A flaky, water-based pie dough
- A sweet, enriched short crust made with egg yolks and sugar (Correct answer)
- A rough puff pastry with high butter content
- A savory short crust seasoned with herbs
Correct answer: A sweet, enriched short crust made with egg yolks and sugar
Pùte sucrée is a sweet short crust enriched with egg yolks and confectioners' sugar, producing a rich, cookie-like shell used for dessert tarts.
Question 3: During blind baking, pie weights or dried beans are used primarily to:
- Add flavor to the crust
- Prevent the crust from puffing and losing its shape (Correct answer)
- Speed up baking time
- Keep the crust from over-browning
Correct answer: Prevent the crust from puffing and losing its shape
Pie weights hold the crust against the pan walls and bottom, preventing steam from puffing the dough and maintaining the shell's shape during blind baking.
Question 4: What effect does cake flour have on pie dough compared to all-purpose flour?
- It creates a flakier, more layered crust
- It produces a more tender, delicate crust with less gluten (Correct answer)
- It makes the dough easier to roll out
- It increases the crust's resistance to sogginess
Correct answer: It produces a more tender, delicate crust with less gluten
Cake flour's lower protein content develops less gluten than all-purpose flour, resulting in a more tender, delicate crust.
Question 5: What is 'fraisage' in the context of making short crust dough?
- Rolling the dough between sheets of parchment
- Smearing the dough across the work surface with the heel of the hand to fully incorporate fat (Correct answer)
- Folding the dough in thirds like a letter
- Pressing the dough into the tart pan
Correct answer: Smearing the dough across the work surface with the heel of the hand to fully incorporate fat
Fraisage is the French technique of smearing dough across the work surface with the heel of the hand, ensuring even fat distribution for a smooth, cohesive short crust.
Question 6: Which sign best indicates that a blind-baked pie shell is fully done and ready to be filled with a no-bake filling?
- The crust appears pale and barely set
- The crust is golden brown and completely dry to the touch (Correct answer)
- The crust has small cracks around the edges
- The edges are deep brown but the bottom is still pale
Correct answer: The crust is golden brown and completely dry to the touch
A fully blind-baked shell should be golden brown and dry throughout to prevent sogginess when filled with wet or no-bake fillings.
Question 7: In flaky pie dough, what role does steam play during baking?
- It hydrates the flour to complete gluten development
- It separates the fat-coated dough layers, creating flakiness (Correct answer)
- It dissolves the sugar and salt evenly
- It causes the crust to shrink toward the center
Correct answer: It separates the fat-coated dough layers, creating flakiness
Steam generated from water in the dough pushes apart fat-coated layers, causing them to separate and create the characteristic flaky, layered texture.
CPM Flaky & Short Crust Dough Methods 3
What is the term for the technique of pressing fat into flour until it resembles coarse cornmeal, used for mealy pie crust?