31 Days of MOO No. 22 Easy Puff Pastry
I am not a pastry cook. I'll own it, my pastry isn't the best. I do make Elaine's Easy Pastry with great success, but I would never have dreamed of trying something like puff pastry.
That is until I came across this recipe. I ummed and ahhed over trying it, then just bit the bullet (or grated the butter) and gave it a try. It worked!
It is not a traditional way to make puff pastry. It is a quick and easy way to get a puff pastry that works for pie tops and matchsticks, without having to do the traditional six layers of folding and rolling layers of butter into the dough.
I'm not saying I won't still buy puff pastry sheets, but now I know that if I have too, I can make a passable, edible puff pastry, and it doesn't take days to make or cost a small fortune.
Ingredients:
280 grams very cold (preferably frozen) butter, grated
1/2 cup icy cold water
2 cups plain flour
Add the flour to the bowl of the food processor. Add half the butter and pulse until butter is absorbed, about 10 single pulses should be enough. Add remaining butter and pulse two or three times to combine. Then add the cold water and pulse four or five single pulses until the dough just comes together and forms a ball. DO NOT OVER PROCESS! You should still see the butter.
Turn onto a lightly floured pastry sheet and knead lightly 10 times, again don't over knead, you want to be able to see flecks of butter in the dough. Flour a rolling pin and lightly flour the pastry and gently roll into a 30cm x 45cm rectangle.
Fold the dough in thirds, then fold in half, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Think the old Sara Lee add "she rolls it and folds it, and folds it again". Be light with your touch, don't press the air out of the dough.
Take the dough from the fridge and gently roll it into a rectangle about 30cm x 45cm. Then repeat the folding - into thirds, then in half. Chill for 30 minutes.
Repeat the rolling and folding one more time, chilling for 2 hours after rolling and folding. Your pastry is ready to use!
The rolling and folding is essential. It creates layers of butter and air in the dough, and this is what causes it to puff during baking.
To cook: prepare pie or tart. Pre-heat oven to 190 degrees Celsius and bake according to recipe time.
Notes:
If using unsalted butter, add 1/2 tsp salt with the flour.
Use very cold butter, grated or cut into very small cubes.
Always cook puff pastry at 190 degrees and always pre-heat the oven before putting the pastry in to cook.
That is until I came across this recipe. I ummed and ahhed over trying it, then just bit the bullet (or grated the butter) and gave it a try. It worked!
It is not a traditional way to make puff pastry. It is a quick and easy way to get a puff pastry that works for pie tops and matchsticks, without having to do the traditional six layers of folding and rolling layers of butter into the dough.
I'm not saying I won't still buy puff pastry sheets, but now I know that if I have too, I can make a passable, edible puff pastry, and it doesn't take days to make or cost a small fortune.
Ingredients:
280 grams very cold (preferably frozen) butter, grated
1/2 cup icy cold water
2 cups plain flour
Add the flour to the bowl of the food processor. Add half the butter and pulse until butter is absorbed, about 10 single pulses should be enough. Add remaining butter and pulse two or three times to combine. Then add the cold water and pulse four or five single pulses until the dough just comes together and forms a ball. DO NOT OVER PROCESS! You should still see the butter.
Turn onto a lightly floured pastry sheet and knead lightly 10 times, again don't over knead, you want to be able to see flecks of butter in the dough. Flour a rolling pin and lightly flour the pastry and gently roll into a 30cm x 45cm rectangle.
Fold the dough in thirds, then fold in half, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Think the old Sara Lee add "she rolls it and folds it, and folds it again". Be light with your touch, don't press the air out of the dough.
Take the dough from the fridge and gently roll it into a rectangle about 30cm x 45cm. Then repeat the folding - into thirds, then in half. Chill for 30 minutes.
Repeat the rolling and folding one more time, chilling for 2 hours after rolling and folding. Your pastry is ready to use!
The rolling and folding is essential. It creates layers of butter and air in the dough, and this is what causes it to puff during baking.
To cook: prepare pie or tart. Pre-heat oven to 190 degrees Celsius and bake according to recipe time.
Notes:
If using unsalted butter, add 1/2 tsp salt with the flour.
Use very cold butter, grated or cut into very small cubes.
Always cook puff pastry at 190 degrees and always pre-heat the oven before putting the pastry in to cook.