This recipe for French Pastry is enriched with a raw egg yolk and has a hard boiled egg yolk added to it to create the perfect crumb.
Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ French Pastry ♥
Why French Pastry?
There are quite a few pastry recipes on my blog, so I decided to call this one French Pastry. This is just my term for it, as I didn’t know what else to call it. If there is a correct term for this type of pastry, please let me know. Enriched pastry usually has raw egg yolks added to it. This pastry however has both raw and hard boiled egg yolks in it. The hard boiled egg yolk effects the formation of the gluten in the pastry. Gluten is essentially to add structure to baked goods. But if the gluten structure is overworked, the pastry can be tough with a chewy crumb. The addition of the hard boiled egg yolk results in a tender, buttery crumb that will dissolve in your mouth.
Using this method
I have only made one recipe using this method, but you can try it with any patisserie other than breads, pizza dough, muffins and cakes. Just add one hard boiled egg yolk to your dough, without leaving any ingredient out of your recipe. Try this with cookies, biscuits, doughnuts and even scones! Now, given that next week is International Scone Week, you have something new to try.
Another baking tip
The last thing a baker wants is a soggy bottom. I have had issues over the years where my pastry has not cooked properly in the middle of the tart. It is frustrating to say the least and something I have been trying to resolve for ages. Finally I have a method that is all but guaranteed to prevent the soggy bottom. Before lining the bottom of your baking tin, spray it with cooking spray. Then sprinkle semolina on to the bottom of the tin, making sure it is completely covered. The tin is then lined with baking paper. The barrier created works like magic to ensure even baking of your pastry.
Take a look at this inspiring recipe for ♥ French Pastry ♥ from Lavender and Lime #LavenderAndLime Share on X
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French Pastry
Ingredients
- 115 g salted butter, softened
- 95 g icing sugar, sifted
- 1 hard boiled egg yolk
- 1 egg yolk
- 2.5 mls almond extract
- 200 g flour, plus extra for dusting
- semolina for dusting
Method
- Place the butter and sugar into a stand mixer bowl and beat until smooth
- Sieve the hard boiled egg yolk into a small mixing bowl, add the raw egg yolk and almond extract, and stir to combine
- Add to the stand mixer bowl, and beat until combined
- Add the flour and beat until the dough just starts coming together
- Bring the dough together with your hands, place onto a piece of cling film and shape into a ball
- Flatten the dough and cover completely with the cling film then place into the fridge for 1 hour
- Remove from the fridge and allow to soften slightly before rolling out into a disc, 5mm thick, on a lightly floured surface
- Spray a loose bottomed pie tin with baking spray then sprinkle a little bit of semolina on the bottom of the tin and ensure it covers it properly
- Line the bottom with baking paper then carefully place the pastry into the tin
- Press the pastry into the sides and the bottom of the tin, trim and place into the fridge for 30 minutes
- Preheat the oven to 160° Celsius and place the tart tin onto a baking tray
- Place the baking tray into the oven and bake the pastry shell for 25 minutes if you are going to use it for a baked filling, or 35 minutes if using for a chilled filling
- Remove from the oven and cool in the tin to room temperature before adding your filling
See the links below for blog posts I published on August 8:
- 2022: Date Scones
- 2021: Behind Closed Doors
- 2018: Home Cooked & Heartwarming
- 2016: Ginger Ale Scones
- 2013: Pickled Plums
- 2012: Gorgeous By Graham Beck
- 2011: Moroccan Chicken
A hard boiled yoke?! Very interesting!
I am going to try it with scones next 🙂
yes nothing worse than a soggy bottom! I usually sprinkle cornflake crumbs on the bottom of my pastry before baking. And also heating a baking tray then placing the pie dish on that to bake often helps. I think i saw Emmy the YouTuber or Lorraine from NQN use an egg yolk for something similar. Very clever of you Tandy!
cheers
sherry
Cornflake crumbs are a great idea as well!
I’m dying to try this pastry recipe Tandy, I’ve never heard of adding a hard yolk. I’ll try and enter the scone bake off, but I have to fly to Cairns again on Tuesday to support our daughter with her leg injury so see how I go. It is such a great competition. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I hope the pastry works out for you! And safe travels to Cairns. I see there was an awful helicopter crash there yesterday 🙁
Tandy,
It sounds like you have found a technique for your pastry that works well for this tart. It looks very tasty.
Thank you so much 🙂