How To Make Homemade Puff Pastry Food

CLASSICAL PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process few seconds to combine. Cut 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) of the butter into small pieces and process with the flour until there are no lumps and the mixture is the texture of cornmeal.
• Pour half the ice water in a large bowl and turn the flour mixture onto it. Sprinkle the remaining water over it, reserving one tablespoon. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl, drizzle the ice water evenly over it and toss like a salad until the dough comes together in a ragged mass. Add the remaining water if necessary. Cover in plastic wrap and chill.
• Meanwhile, place the remaining butter between layers of plastic wrap and pound with a rolling pin to make malleable. Place it between two sheets of plastic wrap and, using your hands or a rolling pin, shape it into a 6-inch square.
• Remove the dough from the fridge, lightly flour the work surface and, using either your hands or a rolling pin, shape the mass into 12-inch square. Place the butter on the dough catty-corner and fold the edges of the dough into the center to enclose it.
• Lightly flour the surface of the dough and roll it into a rectangle measuring about 12 inches high x 26 inches wide. If the dough sticks, loosen it underneath with a long flexible metal palette knife and scrape off any butter sticking to the work surface. Brush off any excess flour. Fold the dough into thirds and turn it 90 degrees, so that seams are parallel to the table's edge. This is called a "turn". Lightly flour and roll it out again to about 12 x 26 inches. Brush off the excess flour and again fold it into thirds. Place the dough on a sheet tray, cover it with a plastic bag and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Repeat this, giving the dough two more turns, each time rolling it out to 12 x 26 inches. Refrigerate for another 20 or 30 minutes, then give the dough 2 final turns. There are six turns in all.
• Lightly roll it to flatten and even it. Wrap it in plastic wrap or a bag and chill for at least two hours before using it. It can be kept, refrigerated, for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
• To roll pastry: (for home size 11 x 17-inch sheet trays)
• For thinly rolled dough (1/16-inch) used to make little pizzas start with 15 ounces (1/3 of the recipe). For thickly rolled dough (3/8-inch) used for everything else, start with 22 ounces (1/2 recipe).
• Line an 11 x 17-inch sheet tray with parchment paper. On a floured table, roll the rectangle of dough to a length of 15 inches and a width of 10 inches. Dust off any excess flour. Roll the dough up onto the rolling pin and transfer it to the sheet tray. Using a 10-inch rolling pin and rolling gently from the center out, roll the dough to fit the tray. Make sure it is even - with no lumpy edges. Rolling lightly and gently enables you to keep it even.
• Shapes to cut out of the 3/8-inch thick dough:
• Bouchee: Cut 2 (3-1/2-inch) rounds of dough. Cut a 2-1/4-inch circle out of the second round. Egg wash the first round. Place the ring from the second round over the first so that the edges line up. Dock the edges and center with a fork. Thin inner circle can be baked as well and used for a lid.
• Bouchee made from special cutter: Use and cutter made especially for this purpose. It has two cutting edges - one inside and shorter than the other that scores, rather than cuts the dough.
• Criss-cross Tartlet: Cut a 5-inch square. Fold it into a triangle and cut from each edge towards the apex, stopping about 1/2-inch short of the apex. The cut should be about 1/2-inch from the edge. Open it up to the square and place on a cookie sheet. Egg wash the edges. Bring one point over to the opposite corner of the inner square and press. Bring the opposite point over and press. Press along the rim to seal. Dock rim and center.
• Puff Strip: From a sheet tray of frozen dough, cut a rectangular piece 8" wide and the length of the sheet tray. Transfer it to a paper lined cookie sheet. Using a pizza wheel, cut a 3/4" strip from each edge. Egg wash the edges of the center piece and flip the cut strips onto the egg washed edge. Dock the 2 rims with a fork, then dock down the center.
• Vol-au-Vent: Similar to above, but round. Press whatever size round you want into the dough on the sheet tray. Lift and cut along the circular impression with a pizza wheel. Center another round, and inch or so smaller in diameter than the first over the circle of dough and press lightly. Remove and cut along this line. Egg was the edge, as above, and cut through the outer rim in one place. Place the rim over the center circle, lining up the edges. Dock the rim with a fork, then dock the center. Bake 20 to 25 minutes in a preheated 425 degree F. oven.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• To form the détrempe by hand, sift the flour and salt together in a large bowl.
• Cut the cold butter into small pieces and then cut the pieces into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
• Make a well in the center of the mixture and add all the water at once.
• Using a rubber spatula or your fingers, gradually draw the flour into the water.
• Mix until all the flour is incorporated. Do not knead. The détrempe should be sticky and shaggy-looking.
• The détrempe can be made in a food processor . To do so, combine the flour, salt, and pieces of cold butter in a food processor bowl fitted with the metal blade.
• Process until a coarse meal is formed.
• With the processor running, slowly add the water.
• Turn the machine off as soon as the dough comes together to form a ball. Proceed with the remainder of the recipe.
• Turn the détrempe out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough a few times by hand, rounding it into a ball.
• Wrap the dough tightly in plastic and chill overnight.
• To roll in the butter, first prepare the softened butter by placing it between two sheets of plastic wrap.
• Use a rolling pin to roll the softened butter into a rectangle, approximately 5 x 8 inches. It is important that the détrempe and butter be of almost equal consistency. If necessary, allow the détrempe to sit at room temperature to soften or chill the butter briefly to harden.
• On a lightly floured board, roll the détrempe into a rectangle approximately 12 x 15 inches. Lift and rotate the dough as necessary to prevent sticking.
• Use a dry pastry brush to brush away any flour from the dough's surface. Loose flour can cause gray streaks and can prevent the puff pastry from rising properly when baked.
• Peel one piece of plastic wrap from the butter. Position the butter in the center of the rectangle and remove the remaining plastic.
• Fold the four edges of the détrempe over the butter enclosing it completely. Stretch the dough if necessary; it is important that none of the butter be exposed.
• With the folded side facing up, press the dough several times with a rolling pin, using a rocking motion to create ridges in the dough.
• Place the rolling pin in each ridge and slowly roll back and forth to widen the ridge.
• Repeat until all the ridges are doubled in size.
• Using the ridges as a starting point, roll the dough out into a smooth, even rectangle of approximately 8 x 24 inches. Be careful to keep the corners of the dough as right angles.
• Use a dry pastry brush to remove any loose flour from the dough's surface.
• Fold the dough in thirds, like a business letter. If one end is damaged or in worse condition, fold it in first; otherwise, start at the bottom. This completes the first turn.
• Rotate the block of dough 90 degrees so that the folded edge is on your left and the dough faces you like a book.
• Roll out the dough again, repeating the ridging technique. Once again, the dough should be in a smooth, even rectangle of approximately 8 x 24 inches.
• Fold the dough in thirds again, completing the second turn.
• Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Repeat the rolling and folding technique until the dough has had a total of five turns. Do not perform more than two turns without a resting and chilling period.
• Cover the dough completely and chill overnight before shaping and baking.
• Puff pastry sheets may be frozen.

PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Put the flour and a pinch of salt in the food processor. Turn it on and steadily pour in 150ml of water. When the dough comes together, cover it in cling film and chill for 20 mins.
• Lightly flour your surface and roll the dough into a 25cm circle. Put the butter in between two pieces of baking parchment and soften it by tapping it with a rolling pin. Cut the butter in half and repeat the process until the butter is pliable but still cold. Reshape to the size roughly of a postcard.
• Put the butter in the centre of the pastry and fold over the right and left sides of the circle, overlapping in the middle. Press the dough with your rolling pin to make it longer and then lightly mark into thirds. Fold the bottom third up to cover the middle third and the top third down. Seal the dough gently by pressing down on the edges with your rolling pin. Give the dough a quarter turn.
• Roll the dough out to a long rectangle (roughly 18 x 38cm), keeping the edges square and the sides straight. Mark the dough into thirds again, fold the bottom third up and the top third down. Seal the edges and give the dough a quarter turn. Repeat one more time, cover and chill for 20 mins.
• Repeat step four twice more, chilling each time. Chill for one hour before using. Watch our puff pastry video for a Good Food tutorial.

FOOD PROCESSOR QUICK PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Cut 1 cup (2 sticks) butter into 1/4-inch cubes. Place in an even layer on a plate and transfer to refrigerator to chill.
• Place flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Cut remaining 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter into thin slices and add to food processor; pulse to combine. Add 1 cup chilled butter; pulse 3 times, 1 second each pulse. Add half of the water and pulse once; add remaining water and pulse twice. Dough will not form a ball.
• Remove blade from processor by lifting up with the handle. Scrape dough from bowl onto a lightly floured work surface. Lightly flour dough and, using your hands, squeeze and shape dough into a cylinder. Press down to flatten into a rectangle.
• Starting at the narrow end furthest away from you, use a rolling pin to press the dough firmly in parallel strokes close to one another. If there are sticky pieces of butter on the surface, cover with a large pinch of flour and press with the rolling pin to combine. Clean off the rolling pin as you go to make sure nothing sticks to the dough. Continue pressing with the rolling pin, working towards the narrow end closest to you.
• Roll dough into a 10-by 20-inch rectangle. Fold the 10-inch ends over the middle (like a letter) to make three layers. Position one of the (about) 6-inch ends to face you and roll up dough like a jelly roll. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface, seam-side down. Sprinkle top of dough lightly with flour and press down using your hand to form a rectangle.
• Wrap dough in plastic wrap and transfer to refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days before using.

PUFF PASTRY SHEET DOUGH

Steps:

• Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl; add the lemon juice and the butter broken into pieces the size of a walnut.
• Add sufficient cold water to bind the ingredients together.
• Turn on to a floured board, and roll the pastry into a long strip.
• Fold it in three, and press the edges together.
• Half turn the pastry, rib it with the rolling pin to equalize the air in it, and again roll it into a strip.
• Fold in three and repeat this until the pastry has had four rolls, folds and half-turns.
• It is then ready for use.