pastry
PAY-stree
/ˈpeɪstri/
A dough of flour, fat, and water used as a base or covering for baked goods, or the baked sweet items themselves.
Refers to delicate, flaky baked items like croissants, danishes, or tarts commonly paired with coffee.
The story behind the word. Evolved from Late Latin 'pasta', meaning dough or paste, into Old French 'pasterie'. Originally denoting any food cooked encased in flour paste, it developed into today's term for flaky, sweetened baked treats.
Word relationships
- baked goods: Baked goods is a broader term encompassing all breads and cakes, while pastry emphasizes flaky enriched doughs.
Commonly confused with
- pasta: Pasta is boiled unleavened wheat dough (noodles), while pastry is baked fat-enriched flour dough.
Word family
- pastries (noun): Plural form of pastry.
- pasty (noun): A savory baked pastry pie.
Collocations
- fresh pastry
- pastry chef
- pastry case
- danish pastry
Example sentences
- "He picked up a butter croissant from the pastry display to complement his hot latte." Cafe order
- "French pastry requires delicate layering of cold butter to create light, crispy sheets." Baking description
Memory hook
PASTRY starts as dough PASTE layered with butter. Flaky sweet baked treat.
When not to use
Do not use for heavy, yeast-leavened sliced sandwich breads or savory crackers.
Fun facts
- Lamination is the technical term for rolling butter into pastry dough to create hundreds of ultra-thin layers.
Explore more words
shortening, confectionery, batter, pairing, knead, condiment
Also appears in
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