The Art of the Quick Knead: A Guide to Handling Pastry

The crostata recipe instructs you to “give it a quick knead” after the pastry dough comes together. This step is brief but important, and understanding how and why to do it is key to achieving the perfect pasta frolla texture.
The purpose of this quick knead is not to develop gluten, as you would in bread making. In fact, the goal is the opposite. The primary purpose is to ensure the dough is homogenous—that the butter, flour, and eggs are evenly distributed—and to bring it all together into a smooth, cohesive ball that will be easy to roll out later.
The technique should be gentle and swift. Once the ingredients have formed a shaggy dough in the bowl, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Then, using the heel of your hand, push the dough away from you once or twice, then gather it back up into a ball. This movement, known as fraisage in French pastry, helps to smooth out the dough without overworking it.
The entire process should take no more than 15-20 seconds. The dough should still feel cool to the touch. If you knead for too long, the heat from your hands will start to melt the butter, and the repeated stretching will develop gluten, both of which will lead to a tough, greasy crust rather than a tender, crumbly one.
So, when the recipe says “quick knead,” take it literally. It’s a final, brief touch to unify the dough before it goes into the fridge to rest and chill. Mastering this gentle touch is a fundamental skill for any pastry baker.