National Pastry Day Date in the current year: December 9, 2024

Pastry is a major type of baker's confectionery including a lot of kinds of baked products – pies, quiches, tarts, pasties and so on. The main difference between pastry and bread is that pastry has a higher fat content, which contributes to a crumbly or flaky texture.

Pastries were first created in Ancient Egypt although they were not common in most ancient countries. Pastry eventually became popular in medieval Europe.

The types of pastry vary depending on the type of pastry dough they are made with. Shortcrust pasty is the most common pastry as it is the easiest to cook. It is made with flour, cooking fat, salt and water. To make sweetened shortcrust pastry, egg yolks and sugar are added.

Flaky pastry expands when cooked due to the number of layers, it is buttery and crisp. Puff pastry also has many layers. Flaky pastry is unleavened while puff pastry is leavened. Choux pastry is very light, it is usually filled with cream or other ingredients. Filo pastry is made with paper-thin sheets of laminated dough.

To celebrate National Pastry Day, pick up your favorite kind of pastry from a local bakery or bake something yourself.