Puff pastry, that flaky melt-in-your-mouth dough; layers of rich heavenly delight. It is something I always have on hand because it is a culinary blank canvas. It goes with anything, can take on a variety of shapes and uses, and is perfect for both sweet and savory applications.
The only problem with it is that most traditional recipes, although not too difficult, are too time-consuming and labor-intensive. To the get perfect layers is usually a difficult process even for the trained chef. The alternative to homemade is the store-bought option which does work; it’s reliable but not as buttery and tasty as homemade. I have used store-bought in time-crunch situations, but homemade is out of this world delicious and freezes well. If you make it in advance, it will always be ready for you when you need it. If you have never experienced the real-butter thing, now is the time to give it a try.
Granted, the beginning steps of this process can get a little messy, but as I tell my husband Joey, “better a messy cook who is a great cook than a clean cook who is a bad cook.” I have made notes for using specialty equipment, so if you have it use it, as it will make things a little cleaner and come together easier. But you can have success with this recipe using only a large mixing bowl, two butter knives, a rolling pin and plastic wrap.
The Perfect Puff Pastry
2 cups all purpose flour
3 sticks or 1½ cups COLD salted butter *if using unsalted butter add an additional ¼ teaspoon of salt
6 tablespoons ice water
Cut the butter into small cubes. Slice down the center of the stick of butter then flip on its side and cut down the middle again. Next, slice down the length of the stick making small cubes. Repeat with the remaining sticks of butter.
In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, salt and cold butter cubes.
*Note: If you have a food processor you can add the flour, salt and butter in that as well, pulse it a few times to break up the butter into small pebbles. Then add the cold water and pulse again until the dough just starts to come together. You may need to scrape the sides of the container. Continue with dumping the dough onto a lightly-floured surface and rolling it out. Note this process will not be as crumbly as the bowl method because you have already incorporated the butter well.
With one of the butter knives held in each hand, cut though the flour and butter mixture making an “x” with the knives against each other. Do this several times until the butter is mostly cut up and is about pea size; it is fine to have a few larger chunks left.
*Note: If you have a pastry blender you can use this instead of the knives; it will be slightly easier and quicker.
Stir in the cold water (from a glass of ice water, measure out only 6 tablespoons of water).
The “dough” will still be quite dry; it is supposed to be this way. Try to press and lightly squeeze it together on the bottom and sides of the bowl. Yes, it will be dry and crumbly still.
Pour the mixture onto the counter and press into a rectangle with the short end facing you and the long end extending away from you. Flour your rolling pin and begin to roll the dough out longer. It will be crumbly and you are probably thinking, “she is crazy; there is no way this will come together!” Have faith—it will.
The dough may stick to the rolling pin; it is just the butter beginning to get worked in. Just wipe it off and re-flour your rolling pin and keep rolling it out to be about as long as your elbow to your fingertips. Yes, we are still working and it is crumbly, I know. Taking the top end (the end farthest away from you), “fold/lift and set” on top of the top half. Then take the bottom end (the end closest to you) and do the same, meeting the top portion in the middle. Yes, still crumbly.
Press the dough together slightly to make a small rectangle and repeat the same process, flouring the rolling pin and rolling it long away from you, then folding the top portion into the middle and the bottom portion into the middle so it looks like a book. Then fold the two together to “close the book” do this “book folding” process a total of 4 times, turning the dough a ¼ turn each time. When complete, form the dough into a rectangle one more time, tightly wrap with plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for 20 minutes. This can also be held in the refrigerator for 3 days or frozen for 3 months. If freezing, wrap again in foil for best freshness and flavor. When ready to use, thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Now the creative part comes in. Take virtually any flavor you like, wrap it in the dough and bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size. You can brush it with a little egg wash (1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons milk) for a nice golden color.
I love to use pepperoni and cheese or little sausages for savory appetizers or make cinnamon sugar twist with the scraps for sweet treats but the possibilities are almost endless. Use the items you have on hand and the flavors and shapes you like. Enjoy!
*A note about butter:
The butter must be kept cold for this recipe to work. There is no active ingredient to make this dough rise; it gets it lift from the steam in the little pockets that are created by the layers of butter. If it is a hot and humid day, it is not the time to be attempting this recipe. Go get ice cream and come back to this when the weather is cooler. If the butter begins to weep or melt, dust the sticky area with flour and chill in the freezer for 15 minutes and begin working again. If ever the dough is too soft, just chill it until it is firmer and easier to handle.
Salted butter will work for this recipe; however, you will get a slightly lighter result using unsalted butter. The moisture in butter when heated turns to steam, which makes the dough puff and rise. Salt slows this process down by making the water taker longer to turn to steam. Do not substitute margarine or butter-like spreads. These are processed items, and the extra additives and additional water will not allow this recipe to turn out properly.