This easy to make light and flaky pastry is great to use for turnovers, tarts, and every savory treats. This recipe will be great to help build those lovely layers that will impress everyone.
Whether watching a baking competition or seeing people attempt this pastry on social media, it might seem like this is a tough skill to handle. Well fear not by taking it slowly anyone can make this wonderful go-to pastry.
In this recipe
The great thing about puff pastry is that is uses 4 ingredients: flour, water, salt, and butter. Lots and lots of butter to be exact. However butter is the mechanism for how the pastry gets it’s name.Â
Lamination? Huh?
When making puff pastry it is important to get lots of layers of butter and dough. Creating alternate layers of butter and dough is called lamination. By doing this the water in the butter will create steam causing the dough to puff. Each of those individual layers create the flaky layers you see because of the water evaporation.Â
There are three kinds of folds: three fold, four fold, and envelope. Each one has it’s own method. The more folds used the faster more layers are built.Â
Due to the need for having layers of butter and dough it is important to make sure the dough stays cool so the butter doesn’t melt. If this happens it will incorporate into the dough.Â
Make sure the dough is rolled from the center outwards, and make the edges be thicker than the middle. This helps prevent the ends from bursting a butter leaking out.Â
Easy Homemade Puff Pastry
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- Large bowl
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 3â…“ cup flour divided
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 lb butter unsalted
Instructions
- Remove â…“ cup of the flour and set aside.
- Combine the rest of the flour, salt, and water in a large bowl and mix until the dough forms a smooth ball. The dough should be slightly sticky and not dry.
- Roll into a ball and cover with cling wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- In a food processor add the â…“ cup flour and butter and blend until smooth. Using cling wrap spread to a 8 x 8 inch square and refrigerate for 30 min.
- Roll out the dough to a rectangle large enough to cover the butter when placed in the middle on all sides.
- Roll out to a length of 18 inches and fold the dough into thirds. Rotate the pastry 90 degrees and roll out to 18 inches. Fold into thirds, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for a hour.
- Repeat the folding and turn twice more. Allowing the dough to rest in the refrigerator after each set of folds and turns for 1 hour. At the end there should have been 3 sets of 2 folds and turns.
- The dough is now ready for any recipe or can be baked for 30 min at 350°F
