How to Make Puff Pastry

Puff pastry is a very versatile pastry. It can be used for both sweet and savory dishes. It is a rich, buttery dough that bakes into a light, crispy layered pastry. It can be very time consuming to make puff pastry, but it is well worth the effort!

There are a number of ways to make puff pastry, but I prefer the French method which I use in the recipe and video below. This process takes a couple of days, so make sure that you plan ahead. Also, puff pastry freezes really well, so you can make a batch well in advance and put it in the freezer. Just make sure you let it thaw in the refrigerator for a day prior to using.

Directions:

Yield: 2lbs of Puff Pastry

1. In a large mixing bowl, add flour. Cut the cold butter into small pieces and add to the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour and blend the mixture until it resembles course cornmeal or oatmeal.
2. Make a well in the center of your mixture. Add the cold water and then mix together using a spatula or your hands.
3. After the water is mixed in, lightly dust your work surface with flour. Gently knead the dough a few times until everything is evenly combined.
4. Form the dough into a ball. Wrap tightly in a plastic bag or plastic wrap and allow to rest in the refrigerator overnight. Try to remove as much air from the packaging as possible.
5. On the next day, remove the dough from the refrigerator. Place the softened butter between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Roll the butter into a square using a rolling pin.
6. Lightly dust your work surface. Roll out the dough following the method in the video below. Roll out the four corners, leaving the center slightly thicker than the corners. The dough will slightly resemble a four-leaf clover. Continue rolling until the center of your dough is large enough to fit the square of rolled butter.
7. Unwrap your butter and set it on top of the dough.
8. Using a pastry brush, brush off any excess flour from your dough. Flour can prevent your dough from rising as good as you would like when the puff pastry is cooked. Fold the first edge of your dough over top of the butter towards the center and brush off any excess flour. Continue folding all of the edges into the center, over the butter, and brushing off any excess flour.
9. Once all of the edges are folded and the butter is encased in the dough, lightly dust your work surface again. Gently roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 12 inches by 15 inches.
10. Fold the dough into thirds, like you are folding a business letter. Brush off any excess flour. Make a small dent in one end of the dough to count the series of folds. Since we have just finished the first fold series, we will have one dent. Wrap the folded dough with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
11. Repeat the previous two steps of gently rolling the dough into a large 12×15 inch rectangle and folding. This time make two dents marking the finish of the second series of folds. Place in the refrigerator for another 30 minutes. Be sure to let your dough sit for the full thirty minutes in the refrigerator. Do not rush!
12. Repeat this process until you have finished five series of folds.

Now your puff pastry is ready to use for any recipe that requires it. I hope everyone has a great time trying to make their own puff pastry, and join us next week when we make a delicious pastry using this recipe.