Basic Puff Pastry

By á-25087

This makes puff pastry. Use it in your recipes that call for it, instead of buying it. So much better.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 3/4 cups flour, all-purpose
• 1/2 cup water cold
• 3/4 cup butter softened
• 1/4 cup flour, all-purpose chilled

Preparation

Step 1

Preparation works best on a chilled marble or stone pastry board. Pre-chill the marble in the freezer or fridge. If at any point when rolling out this recipe you find things getting soft or sticky, chill everything in the fridge for 30 minutes and then continue.

Cut 1/4 cup butter into 1-3/4 cups flour with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Sprinkle cold water (1 tablespoon at a time) evenly over surface; stir with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened.

Shape into a ball, and wrap in waxed paper.

Chill 15 minutes. Combine 3/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup flour; stir until smooth.

Shape mixture into a 6-inch square on waxed paper.

Chill 5 minutes.

Roll pastry into a 15-inch circle on a lightly floured surface; place chilled butter mixture in center of pastry.

Fold left side of pastry over butter; fold right side of pastry over left.

Fold upper and lower edges of pastry over butter, making a thick square.

Working quickly, place dough, folded side down, on a lightly floured surface; roll dough into a 20- x 8-inch rectangle.

Fold rectangle into thirds, beginning with short side.

Roll pastry into another 20- x 8-inch rectangle; again fold rectangle into thirds.

Wrap dough in wax paper, and chill about 2 hours.

Repeat rolling, folding, and chilling process 2 additional Pastry.