Can this be accomplished with fewer steps?

Is there a specific reason to create a center disc and outer ring of pastry dough? Why can't it be a single cutout, with the 4" diameter center docked? If there's a reason for a separation between the center and the outer ring, couldn't it be one cutout and then a 4" cutter used to separate the two, leaving the center in place? My inclination in either of those scenarios would be to use the 4" cutter as a guide for the docking, to maintain a consistent end product. I'm not second-guessing or being critical of your process, just asking out of curiosity.

Kelley
  • Posted by: Kelley
  • February 26, 2023
  • 534 views
  • 4 Comments
Porcini Mushroom & Ricotta Quiches
Recipe question for: Porcini Mushroom & Ricotta Quiches

4 Comments

702551
702551 February 27, 2023
There's a very efficient way of doing this (double-layered wall) if you're okay with square pastries.

Basically you cut a square with slits the width of the desired wall that don't go all the way around. It's easier to refer to someone else's well photographed procedure:

https://www.justataste.com/easy-cream-cheese-danish-recipe/

rather than write a wall of text describing the process.

(Ignore the ingredients and recipe, just look at the puff pastry dough manipulation.)

As you can see, there is very little waste and this takes almost no time.
 
Melina H.
Melina H. February 27, 2023
The linked pastries are pretty, but they don’t achieve the high walls that this recipe produces. When the filling thaws and then bakes inside the oven, it expands. The double height created by that extra ring of puff (which I admit, doesn’t look like much before being baked), creates a real loft once baked. The pastries end up nearly 2 inches tall! I hope that provides further clarity. :)
 
Melina H.
Melina H. February 26, 2023
The second piece of pastry - the ring encircling the outer edge - ensures an exceptional form for the finished pastry. You end up with twice the height that you could achieve using a single layer... The stacked layers expand in the scorching oven and end up creating a formidable, tall "container" to hold the fillings. I hope that makes sense, and look forward to how it turns out for you!
 
Kelley
Kelley February 26, 2023
I re-read the directions and realized where I went off-course (literacy - what a concept!) On my initial reading, the 6 1/2 circles registered as 6-1/2" circles, so I thought you were saying to essentially create a doughnut shape to place around the 4" circle, rather than making 6 doughnuts with an od of 4" to create the second, double-height layer.

Thanks for the prompt reply and clarification. I'm looking forward to putting some of these together, some exactly as described and some with a poached egg on top.
 
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