Pastry Brush
About Pastry Brushes
Most probably, there is no one in the world who doesn’t like enjoying a well-baked pastry. It is such a universal item. And also, there are thousands of them, and it is hard to find a person who hates them all. We also love how the glazing looks on top of a pastry. But to add that final finishing touch, you need a fine pastry brush.
If you really know how to use a pastry brush, it can transform your way of cooking completely. That is why it is a must-have item in any kitchen. But a pastry brush can do much more than just glazing desserts, though. It can help you preserve the tenderness of the meat and add flavour to your cookies. You can use it to spread sauces and apply other liquids as well to dishes before cooking them. Unlike a spoon, baking brushes provide much more control and also makes your work easier. But before you go and get a set of pastry brushes, it will be helpful to know more about them. This article will tell you everything you need to know about them.
A beginner’s guide to pastry brushes for baking
Those who are into baking will understand that the way your bake looks is just as important as how it tastes. That is why adding a coat of butter or egg white can make a lot of difference. If you want to apply an even coat of wet or gooey paste on top of your dessert, having a pastry brush can be a great help. Although you can try doing the same thing with a kitchen spoon, it won’t be nearly as perfect as you can get with a pastry brush. The brush will hold a lot of goop and will help you spread it evenly on the surface.
The purpose of a pastry brush
A pastry brush is to coat the outside of your pastry with butter or egg. These are usually small and usually look smaller than a teaspoon. But those that are used for special purposes are larger than that. Traditionally, pantry manufacturers used natural bristles to make these brushes. But these days, most brushes use artificial nylon or plastic bristles. While those with natural bristles still exist, they are a little more expensive than the nylon ones. Silicone pastry brushes are really good for spreading egg wash over bread and pastries.
Different uses of pastry brushes
The most important use of pantry brushes is in baking. They provide a convenient way to spread glazes over bakes and cooked food. This will help you add the final touch to make it look more delicious. Apart from that, you can use pastry brushes to baste the meat. A silicone brush is the best tool for basting as it has the right thickness and flexibility for the purpose. As the bristles of silicone brushes are thicker and do not break easily, you can even use them to clean the hard reach places of a blender or a coffee machine.
Basting brush vs pastry brush
You might come across a basting brush when you shop and might wonder how it is different from a pastry brush. But in fact, there is no noticeable difference between pastry brushes and basting brushes. You can say that basting brushes are just one variety among pastry brushes. But the thing is, when you are cooking, do not use a single pastry brush for all the food items. Keep a separate brush for applying liquid to poultry or meat, and keep another one for glazing your desserts. This will help you prevent transferring flavours between contradicting food items. Well, nobody wants their dessert tasting like barbecue.
Different shapes and sizes of pastry brushes
These brushes come in a variety of different shapes and sizes. The three standard sizes for them are small, large and wide. Smaller brushes are better for work that requires more care and precision, while wider brushes will help you spread faster across larger surface areas. Larger brushes also hold more liquid, and you don’t need to dip in the liquid as many times as you do with a small brush. The shapes of the bristles also vary. The most common ones are the round brushes and the angled ones. Round ones allow you more precision and detail on the pastries.
Tips on how to buy Pastry Brushes
Trying to choose a pastry brush can be really confusing. As there are so many different varieties of them, it is also easy to make mistakes. But in the end, you need the right type of brush to bake a perfect pastry. If you know the criteria to look for in pastry brushes, it will be easy to narrow down your options. Here are a few tips that you can follow when you are shopping for them.
- Look for the right shape and size – Each type of brush has its own purpose. A small round brush is perfect for applying detailed glazing on a small pastry. But the same brush will not work for a bake with a wider surface as it will take you more time to glaze with a small brush.
- Select the bristle texture – The hardness and thickness of the bristles vary quite a lot. A hard brush will punch holes in soft pastries. Therefore, if you are baking a dessert, a soft brush with thin bristles are a perfect choice. But when it comes to basting meat, a thick hard brush is necessary.
- Choose the bristle material – These days, artificial bristles are more common among pastry brushes. Most of them use nylon or silicone bristles. But these are also pretty durable. It is also easy to produce silicon brushes by controlling the hardness very precisely.
- Pick easy to clean – You should be careful to thoroughly wash the pastry brushes before shelving them. Otherwise, it can lead to mould growth and also render the brush useless as the remains of food will destroy the bristles. Silicone brushes are easy to clean as they are naturally non-stick and do not catch grease as fast as other types of materials.
Apart from these, you can also choose the type of handles you want. Although it will not affect the baking directly, having a comfortable handle on your pastry brush is really a great thing. The most common materials for making brush handles are wood and plastic. Choose a handle that will be comfortable to hold in your hand. And finally, don’t forget to check out other products from the home & living category.
Question & Answer
Do you really need a pastry brush?
If you are into baking, then there is no doubt that you need at least one pastry brush. This is because there is no better way to evenly apply a thin layer of coat on a dessert. Using a spoon will not give you good results. And as most pastries are soft and porous, you need a soft material to apply glazing on them without destroying their shape. And if you regularly bake, you will need more than one pastry brush for creating finer finishes. As the thickness and consistency of the coat vary, you need to use a brush that is appropriate to handle it.
How to clean a pastry brush?
The longevity of your pantry brush depends on how you maintain it. But cleaning the brush after every use not only prolongs its life but will also prevent bacterial growth and mould formation. An unclean pantry brush might even result in food poisoning. So, when it comes to actually cleaning the brush, there is nothing too complicated. If the handle of the brush is plastic, just a wipe will do most of the cleaning. But if it is wooden, the food particles might go inside the surface and will need a thorough wash. Cleaning the bristles is also important. If the bristle is made of synthetic material, you can throw it inside a dishwasher. Animal hair can only be washed by hand.
When to replace your pantry brushes?
You will know it is time to replace the pantry brushes when the bristles start shedding. If your brush is losing bristles, that itself is a major indicator that it is time to replace it. Getting animal hair in the food is a very bad problem as it can cause allergies in some people. Apart from this primary reason, if your brush is damaged in any other way, then don’t mind buying a new set of it. A loose handle or a melted bristle will hinder your ability to spread the glazing evenly over the surface of a pastry. This can also happen if the bristles are not spreading out evenly.
Where to buy a pastry brush?
Pastry brushes and bakeware are a must if you are into baking. If you are looking to buy a pastry brush set in the UAE, look no further as you are in the right place. You will find anything from large pastry brushes to feather pastry brushes for icing cookies to buy in Shops.ae. All you have to do is to look for them using our product search engine . That way, you can also compare the prices and features of the brushes and find out the best one amongst them. There are more than 500 shops and brands offering pastry brushes here on Shops.ae. These include some of the popular brands like Lakeland, Matfer, Ateco, Zyliss, IKEA, Winco, and WALFOS.