Traditional puff pastry is a dough made up of several layers of butter and flour, which swells and separates into sheets when baked. It's a delicate pastry to make, requiring time and patience, but yielding a crisp, tasty result.
Traditional puff pastry is prepared in two stages: tempering and kneading. In the tempering stage, flour, water and salt are mixed together, and a block of cold butter is added. Turning consists in rolling out and folding the dough several times, resting in the refrigerator between each turn. The number of turns varies from recipe to recipe, but you should generally make at least six. Each turn creates layers of butter and flour, which form the dough sheets.
It can be used to make tarts, galettes des rois, sweet and savoury puff pastries, croissants and pains au chocolat. You can also flavour the dough with sugar, vanilla, lemon zest or other ingredients of your choice.
Well-wrapped, homemade puff pastry keeps for 2 days in the refrigerator and 3 months in the freezer. The recipe yields about 1 kg (2.2 lb) of dough. I recommend dividing it into 5 pieces of 200g each. This is the classic portion for a puff pastry disk (as for a galette des rois for example).
Traditional puff pastry is a challenge for amateur pastry chefs, but also a source of pride and pleasure. If you'd like to try your hand at it, follow my step-by-step recipe for a homemade puff pastry worthy of the finest chefs.
Get cooking!
Print
Puff pastry
- Total Time: 4-8h
- Yield: 1kg paste 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Tempera
- 450 g (3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 5 ml (1 tsp.) salt
- 115 g (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted
- 250 ml (1 cup) water, cold
Butter for kneading
- 450 g (2 cups) unsalted butter, softened
- 75 g (½ cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
Instructions
Tempera
- In a large bowl, combine flour and salt.
- Pour in the melted butter and water.
- Mix well with your hands or in a food processor.
- On a floured work surface (or in a food processor), knead the dough until smooth.
- Form a 15 cm (6") square.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Turning
- In a bowl, combine the butter and flour.
- Place mixture on plastic wrap and shape into a 15 cm (6") square.
- Close the film and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- On a floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 46 x 20 cm (18" x 8") rectangle.
- Brush off excess flour.
- Place the butter square in the center of the rectangle and fold one side of the dough over the butter square. Fold over the other side. Using your fingers, seal the two ends to trap the butter.
- Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a 46 x 20 cm (18 x 8 in.) rectangle.
- Fold the two longer strips inwards so that they barely touch.
- Fold the dough in half, like a book.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- You've just completed a double tour (steps 7 to 10).
- Repeat the operation 2 more times, the aim being to have completed 3 double turns by the end. Take enough time (1 h) to chill your dough in the fridge between each double turn.
- Your dough is ready to be rolled out and cut to fit your recipe.
Notes
Well-wrapped, homemade puff pastry keeps for 2 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer.
The recipe yields approximately 1 kg (2.2 lb) of dough. I recommend dividing it into 5 pieces of 200g each. This is the classic portion for a puff pastry disk (as for a galette des rois for example).
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Category: patisserie
- Cuisine: French
English 
French
Leave a comment