James Beard Had A Genius Egg Trick For Crispy, Tender Pastry
If there's anything to be learned from our favorite baking competitions, it might be how quickly making pastries can go from good to bad. Whether it's pie crust, croissants, or biscuits, the risk of too soggy, overcooked, or bland outcomes is awfully high. With baking as technically challenging as it is, there are so many elements to consider when aiming for the perfect result. Of all the ingredients and techniques that could apply, there is one that deserves reconsideration — it's even used by a legendary chef.
Considered to be the pioneer of American cooking, James Beard offered the world an endless range of cooking advice that continues to influence chefs to this day. The inspiration behind the eponymous James Beard Foundation, his legacy continues to inspire and support chefs worldwide. Of all of his contributions to the culinary sphere, there is one that is sure to help you perfect your next bake. When creating any pastry, look to this culinary giant and his easy baking hack that anyone can achieve — all you need is eggs.
The classic recipe that inspired this pastry hack
The secret to a perfect bake takes inspiration from James Beard's shortcake recipe, passed down from his mother and then shared with his friend, chef Larry Forgione of An America Place, where the dessert earned a spot on the menu. James Beard apparently sampled the sweet treat and was moved to proclaim "there is no better dessert," thanks to its tender crumb. That's because this recipe relies on an intentionally different approach to one ingredient: eggs.
Eggs, and their treatment, can significantly alter the outcome of any bake. There's a plethora of ways eggs can improve any pastry recipe, whether it's adding moisture, color, texture or simply binding all of the other ingredients together, there is much to consider when determining the role eggs play in your pastry. Traditionally, raw eggs are added to a batter as a binding agent or to add richness to all kinds of baked goods. Yet the best pastry, according to Beard, calls for eggs in a different way.
Add hard-boiled egg yolks to achieve the perfect pastry
The key to achieving a crispy, tender pastry is hard-boiled egg yolks. James Beard's method for adding hard-boiled egg yolks instead of raw works best thanks to the way eggs interact with gluten in traditional pastry dough. When cooked egg yolks are run through a sieve and incorporated into the raw dough, they interfere with the gluten present in the dough, breaking down that added heft and preventing toughness and chewiness. Achieving a melt-in-your-mouth crumb in your pastry is as easy as that.
It's an old-school Northern European baker's secret that Beard's mom likely took inspiration from, granting home bakers an easy technique for perfectly crisp and tender pastry. Before making your next pastry dough, consider taking the extra step to hard boil some eggs for a foolproof way to perfect your pastries every time. With this simple trick in your arsenal, there are endless recipes to test it with, like savory cheddar herb scones, vanilla sugar doughnuts, or buttermilk biscuits.