Puff pastry is used in many sweet and savory recipes. This one is a quick version of puff pastry, because it is ready to use in roughly 3 hours and most of that time the dough just sits in the fridge chilling. Not at all difficult to make and the result is a lovely 2-1/2 lbs block of puff pastry. The dough can last up to a week in the fridge or up to two months in the freezer. Follow the recipe faithfully and resist the urge to add more water. A pastry scraper is the best tool bringing the dough together, but a chef’s knife will work too. It is important to keep the dough as cold as possible. I measured out the flours needed and placed them in the freezer the night before. The next morning all my ingredients were very cold. Hands should not touch the dough much; the dough must be worked together with the pastry scraper. Unlike commercial puff pastry, quick puff pastry does not shrink, in fact it grows and puffs up wonderfully. And like any puff pastry, this too is best eaten fresh.
QUICK PUFF PASTRY
2-1/2 cups white flour, chilled 1 cup cake flour, chilled
1-3/4 teaspoons salt
2 cups very cold butter
1 cup ice cold water
• Place the chilled flours on a clean working surface.
• Add the salt.
• Add the block of chilled butter and begin to chop away at it with the scraper, meanwhile mixing it into the dry ingredients.
• When the butter is all chopped down to pea size chunks and is well distributed in the flour, make a well in the center and gradually add the ice water.
• Keep mixing with the pastry scraper as a rough dough forms.
• Wrap the dough up in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for twenty minutes.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll it into a 12X30 inch rectangle.
• You will have to rub the roller with flour often, at first the dough will stick a little.
• Fold the dough in thirds like a letter.
• Now turn dough 90 degrees.
• Roll dough out again to a rectangle and fold in thirds again.
• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Remove dough from refrigerator and roll and fold the dough as before.
• Chill for 30 minutes and then repeat rolling and folding for the third time.
• After the last fold, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 whole hour before using.
The Story
Butter is chopped and mixed into the flours
Ice water has been added and rough dough begins to form
The dough is coming together
The rough dough
The butter is clearly visible
Wrap it up and chill
Roll out
Fold
Turn 90 degrees
Roll out again
Fold again
Wrap and chill. Repeat roll and fold one more time
Quick Puff Pastry is ready. Chill for 1 whole hour before using.
