1. A dough of flour and water and shortening; SYN. pastry dough.
2. Any of various baked foods made of dough or batter.
Baked dough made from flour, fat, water, and salt. It makes a useful base or container for soft, moist fillings, and is widely used for tarts, pies, quiches, and pasties. Richer pastries may include eggs, yeast, or sugar, or may use ground nuts instead of flour. Varieties include short pastry, flaky pastry, suet crust, filo, and choux. Puff pastry is made with a higher proportion of fat; its preparation involves repeated folding, which, with the fat, makes it flaky.