pastry
PAY-stree
/ˈpeɪstri/
A rich dough of flour, fat, and water, or delicate baked goods crafted from this dough.
Refers specifically to fat-rich, baked creations such as tarts, croissants, and pies rather than standard loaves.
The story behind the word. Originates from Late Latin 'pasta' (paste or dough), which entered Old French as 'paste' and evolved into English 'pastry' to denote flour paste combined with fat.
Word relationships
- tart: A tart is a specific baked dish with a pastry crust base and filling, whereas pastry is the broader category or dough type.
Commonly confused with
- cake: Cake uses a sweet batter cooked into soft sponge layers, while pastry relies on fat-laminated dough formed into crisp or flaky shells.
Word family
- patisserie (noun): A French bakery specializing in pastries and sweets.
Collocations
- pastry chef
- puff pastry
- danish pastry
- flaky pastry
Example sentences
- "The French patisserie offered delicate flaky pastry filled with rich vanilla pastry cream." Bakery Review
Memory hook
PAY for a sweet PASTRY at the patisserie. Fat + Flour = Pastry
When not to use
Do not use for basic savory table breads or plain pan loaves.
Fun facts
- The light layers in puff pastry are achieved by folding butter into dough dozens of times, creating up to 729 distinct layers.
Explore more words
shortening, confectionery, batter, pairing, knead, condiment
Also appears in
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