Quick Recipe
When you are craving a home-baked puff pastry, you want something quick. Although puff pastry is not something that can be done in minutes, it can surely be done in a few hours or a day.
To make puff pastry dough;
1. Mix 2 cups of flour, half a teaspoon of salt, and 2 tablespoons of butter.
2. Combine the ingredients and make a dough. When it is smooth and well-knead, roll out the dough and brush with melted butter.
3. Fold the dough from all sides and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
4. Roll the dough again and brush with butter. Fold and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
5. Repeat the process 5-10 times. This adds layers to the puff pastry.
When you are ready to bake, add meat, your favorite fruits, or anything you like and wrap the pastry. Apply egg wash. Bake at 400 degrees F until it looks golden brown.
Basic Puff Pastry
Puff pastry is an incredibly versatile thing. It can be used to make danishes, pie crusts, beef wellingtons, and anything else that can benefit from a flaky, buttery crust.
For a basic puff pastry, all you will need is flour, water, and salt. The rest is technique.
First, mix 1 cup of flour with a pinch of salt. Then, cube 10 tablespoons of cold butter and, using a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingers, cut the butter into the dough. This means to break the butter into smaller pieces until they're the size of peas.
Make a well in the center of your mixture and add in 1/3 of a cup of cold water. Mix the water into the flour/butter mixture. The dough will seem dry and crumbly, but it should hold its shape when squeezed. There should be visible chunks of butter. These will melt in the oven and create flaky layers.
Lightly flour a cutting board and place your dough on top. Pat the dough into a rough square shape. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it's approximately 10" long, but no need to be too precise.
Fold the bottom third over the dough into the middle, then fold the top third on top of that (like a letter). Roll until 10" long again. Turn the dough 90 degrees, and repeat the process, folding and rolling, at least three more times. Use additional flour when needed if the dough starts to stick.
When done, wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze overnight.
Then your puff pastry is done! Let thaw slightly before using, just enough so that it doesn't shatter. Use for pies, pastries, or anything you like.
