What is the purpose of a pastry blender?

A pastry blender is specifically designed to incorporate solid fats, such as butter or shortening, into dry ingredients like flour. This process is crucial in creating pastries, biscuits, and other baked goods where a tender texture is desired. The metal wires of the pastry blender are ideally shaped to effectively "cut" the fat into smaller pieces, allowing it to coat the flour particles. This method creates a crumbly mixture, which is key for achieving the flaky texture associated with many pastries.

Other options refer to different kitchen tools or processes: kneading bread dough is typically done by hand or with a stand mixer; mixing liquids together involves using tools like whisks or mixers; rolling out dough is accomplished with a rolling pin. Each of these tasks requires a different technique, making the pastry blender uniquely suited for cutting fat into flour.