Pastries

Pastries are any dish made in part with a baked dough of flour, water, and often shortening or butter. Pastries can be sweet or savory. They have a higher fat content than breads.

Food historians think that the Ancient Egyptians had some sort of pastry, and while we are not certain of their recipes, the ancient Greeks had cooks who specialized in pastry. Puff pastry was developed in the Middle East and brought back to Europe by the Crusaders, where cooks used the information to evolve new kinds of dishes. In Asia, pastry evolved along different lines; it is generally deep-fried or baked.