Classic Homemade Puff Pastry
This is a labor of patience, not skill. If the dough starts to feel elastic or the butter begins to soften and bleed into the flour, stop and return it to the refrigerator immediately.
Cold is your only true ally here.
If the kitchen is warm, chill your rolling pin and work surface beforehand. Never let the butter melt, or you lose the lift.
- Heavy rolling pin
- Bench scraper
- Large mixing bowl
- Plastic wrap
- Baking sheet
What goes in.
- 2 1/2 cupsall-purpose flour
- 1 tspkosher salt
- 1 cupcold water
- 1 cupunsalted European-style butter, cold
Enclosing the butter slab
Your butter must be formed into a flat, pliable square before it meets the dough. When you fold the dough over it, ensure no air is trapped inside the envelope.
The method.
Form the dough
Mix flour, salt, and water until just combined. Shape into a disk, wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
Prepare the butter
Place cold butter between two sheets of parchment. Pound it with your rolling pin until it is a flat, 6-inch square. Return to the fridge.
The first turn
Roll the dough into a 10-inch square. Place the butter square in the center at a 45-degree angle. Fold the dough flaps over like an envelope to seal the butter inside.
Roll and fold
Roll the dough into a 16-inch rectangle. Fold it into thirds like a letter. This is your first turn. Wrap and chill for 45 minutes.
Repeat
Repeat the rolling and folding process three more times, rotating the dough 90 degrees each time. Always chill between turns.
Other turns to take.
Rough Puff
Instead of a butter slab, cut cold butter into pea-sized chunks into the flour. It is faster and less precise, yielding a shaggier, rustic flake.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always brush excess flour off the dough with a pastry brush before folding; otherwise, you will create dry, floury streaks between your layers.
If the dough resists when rolling, it is too tight. Let it rest for 10 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.
Work quickly. The warmth of your hands will melt the butter if you handle the dough for too long.
The ones that keep coming up.
How do I know if I have turned the dough enough?
The dough should look smooth and feel slightly heavy. If you see streaks of solid, un-smeared butter, you have under-worked it.
Can I freeze the dough?
Yes. Wrap the finished block tightly in two layers of plastic. It keeps for up to three months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.
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