Quick Puff Pastry

IMG_9321 (550x367)What? Make puff pastry at home? Am I crazy?! Isn’t it super hard to make and only French bakers, pastry chefs and factories make puff pastry from scratch? Let me assure you, I am none of the above and I made this dough. Trust me, you’ll be so surprised how easy it is to make. Now, granted, this is a quick version of puff pastry. The regular puff pastry is a little more time consuming and can be just a bit tricky. Ok. I admit it – puff pastry is finicky and hard, but not as hard as most people think. I’ve done it before and it’s not bad at all.

This version is a dream to work with though. You will laugh with joy when you’re done and wonder what all the fuss is about. The result is amazing. Flaky, tender dough with lots of thin layers. It also tastes amazing. You may not know this, but a lot of store-bought puff pastry is made with shortening, so this home-made dough with all-butter tastes so much better. Butter always wins by a long shot in my opinion. The thin, crisp layers just melt in your mouth.

You’ll be so proud of yourself when you’ve made puff pastry from scratch. You can use this dough in countless numbers of ways, both in savory and sweet dishes.

Recipe from videoculinary.ru.

16 oz flour, approx 3 1/2 cups, cold

4 sticks butter, frozen

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon vinegar

water,  approx 3/4 cup

The main secret to this dough is to keep all the ingredients very cold, work fast and don’t over mix. I place my hands under cold running water for a bit to cool them off or if you have really warm hands, rub some ice cubes in your hands.

I always have some butter in the freezer, but if you don’t that’s where it should be. Frozen solid is what you need.

Place the flour in the refrigerator too. If you don’t keep any water in the refrigerator, chill the water also.

Grate the frozen butter on a box grater, right into the bowl of cold flour, stopping every so often to mix the flakes of butter in the flour. Keep the curled bits of flour coated in flour. You don’t want the butter to clump together.IMG_9288 (550x367)

IMG_9292 (550x367)

IMG_9297 (550x367)Lightly beat the egg in a liquid measuring cup, add the salt and pour in the vinegar. IMG_9300 (550x367)Add the cold water until the liquid ingredients to measure 1 cup all together. IMG_9302 (550x367)Pour in the liquid ingredients into the center of the flour and butter mixture. IMG_9308 (550x367)Working very quickly, mix the dough until it comes together.

Just as soon as most of the flour is incorporated into the dough, leave it alone. It will look kind of shaggy, but that’s good. You want the pieces of butter to be suspended in the cold dough. IMG_9317 (550x367)Refrigerate the dough for at least two hours before using it. Wrap the dough in parchment paper to keep it from absorbing the smell of your refrigerator and drying out too. You can even freeze this dough. Thaw it in the refrigerator.IMG_9321 (550x367)

 

Quick Puff Pastry
 
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Recipe type: Miscellaneous
Ingredients
  • 16 oz flour, approx 3½ cups, cold
  • 4 sticks butter, frozen
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon vinegar
  • water, approx ¾ cup
Instructions
  1. Grate the frozen butter on a box grater, right into the bowl of cold flour, stopping every so often to mix the flakes of butter in the flour. Keep the curled bits of flour coated in flour. You don't want the butter to clump together.
  2. Lightly beat the egg in a liquid measuring cup, add the salt and pour in the vinegar.
  3. Add the cold water until the liquid ingredients to measure 1 cup all together.
  4. Pour in the liquid ingredients into the center of the flour and butter mixture.
  5. Working very quickly, mix the dough until it comes together. Just as soon as most of the flour is incorporated into the dough, leave it alone. It will look kind of shaggy, but that's good. You want the pieces of be suspended in the cold dough.
  6. Refrigerate the dough for at least two hours before using it. Wrap the dough in parchment paper to keep it from absorbing the smell of your refrigerator and drying out too. You can even freeze this dough. Thaw it in the refrigerator.

13 Comments

  • Tallya

    Hi!
    I have made puff pastry from scratch a few times as well and it really isn’t hard at all, just really time consuming. I wanted to let you know, and I’m not looking for something wrong, just totally know what it means to type fast and not notice mistakes, this is kinda cute: “You want the pieces of be suspended in the cold dough.” Heehee totally know what you meant and I love that you are human just like the rest of us ;}
    Love you 🙂

    • olgak7

      I agree. Puff pastry is not difficult to make. I don’t have it posted here because I highly doubt that even a very small percentage of people would make it. Although I certainly prefer the taste and texture of the long version of puff pastry compared to this quick version. This is a perfect substitute, since it literally takes less than 10 minutes to make.
      I am human, and I’m sure there are many more typos in here. It’s hard to see your own typos for some reason, though:). Plus I usually write the recipes after working a 12 hour night shift, so it’s not that easy to concentrate:).

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