A pastry brush is a very important kitchen tool. I use mine at least several times a week, and when I need it, I NEED IT! I use mine for:
- Brushing milk on the top crust of my pies;
- Brushing the butter and spices on a couple of my flat breads;
- Spreading pizza sauce on pizza crust;
- Brushing the egg wash on the loaf of French bread or Italian bread;
- Brushing butter on rolls or biscuits just out of the oven.
You get the idea. A pastry brush has a lot of uses!
There are many different kinds of pastry brushes. Some of the newer brushes have bristles made of silicone. Or there are the old-fashioned ones that look more like a paint brush. I have three brushes and they’re all different.
I don’t like this brush at all. The “bristles” are too long and floppy. The only time I use this one is if I’m brushing something on a very delicate item or if my other brushes are unavailable. If I was going to buy another silicone pastry brush, I’d make sure the bristles were shorter. I also find that this type of brush doesn’t hold liquids very well. When I’m brushing butter on the tops of rolls, the butter tends to drip as I’m moving the brush from the bowl of butter to the rolls. It makes a big mess.
This brush works a lot better but it tends to get stiff after it’s been washed a couple of times. So before I use it, I have to bend the bristles a little to soften them. But otherwise it works well.
This third brush is my favorite. Unfortunately I had to re-purpose this brush and it’s no longer available as a pastry brush (that’s why it looks so crummy in the picture). However, I’m planning to replace it ASAP. It is definitely my favorite of the three. And guess what? It’s a paint brush. My husband picked it up for me at Home Depot. If you get one, don’t buy the cheapest brush available because the bristles sometimes fall out. So spend a little more and get a better one.
Depending on what I use my brush for, I usually wash it in the dishwasher. If I use it for something other just liquid, like spices, I go ahead and wash it by hand.
So if you don’t have a pastry brush, pick one up the next time you’re out. I bet you’ll find all kinds of uses for it. And if you want to make something just so you can try it out, check out the recipes below.
