Quick Puff Pastry Recipes

QUICK PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour (240 grams / 2 cups) and salt (2 grams / ½ teaspoon).
• Add the cold cubed butter (225 grams / 8 ounces / 2 sticks) to the bowl and toss it throughout the flour.
• Press down on each piece of butter with your fingertips until each one is flattened out. Do not work the butter in as much as you would do with a pie crust. Keep the pieces very large, just flatten them. (see step-by-step pictures in the post).
• When all of the butter has been flattened start adding the ice-cold water a few tablespoons at a time and use your hands to toss the water throughout the mixture. Keep adding the water until most of the flour is moistened and the mixture starts forming large clumps.
• Press the dough together on the counter into a rectangular shape and then wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days.
• After the dough has chilled, flour a work surface and roll the dough out into a skinny rectangle about ½- centimeter or ¼-inch thick.
• Fold the dough over itself in thirds and then rotate the dough 90 degrees to the left. Roll out and fold the dough 3 more times (for a total of 4), always rotating 90 degrees in the same direction between each fold.
• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate before using it. Ideally, 1 hour is best before rolling it out. The dough can be refrigerated for a total of 48 hours between this chilling time and the first.
• This dough can be wrapped well in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 2 months. Let thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.

QUICK PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Mix the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and add the chilled butter and use a pastry cutter or pastry scraper to cut the butter into the flour. (If you don't work in a cold environment, put the flour, salt and chilled butter in a freezer safe mixing bowl and keep in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before starting which will help the butter not to warm quickly when working. This step will also help to keep the work surface cold when you roll out the dough)
• Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the ice cold water. Take the flour mixture from the sides and start to mix with pastry scraper. Don't use your hands as they can warm the butter easily. Use your hands quickly at the end to bring the dough together and shape it into a ball.
• Put the dough onto the work surface. Flour the work surface and the rolling pin so the dough doesn't stick to either. Roll out the dough into a 10 inch(25 cm)long rectangle. Add more flour as needed. Brush off the excess flour with a pastry brush. Fold the bottom one-third of the dough towards the center, and the top third over that. While folding, brush off the excess flour as needed.
• Give the dough a quarter turn, and make the same steps at least 3 more times up to 6 times.
• Wrap the dough in plastic film and refrigerate at least for 1 hour or freeze 20-30 minutes before using.

QUICK PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Sift together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, and salt into a large chilled bowl. Cut in the pieces of butter using a pastry knife until the butter is in very small lumps, about 1/2 inch in diameter.
• Combine the ice water and the lemon juice, and stir into the flour mixture, a little at a time, pressing the dough together with your hands until it comes together.
• Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and roll it into a 1/2-inch-thick rough rectangle, approximately 12 × 18 inches. The dough will be very crumbly. Fold the bottom of the rectangle toward the center, then the top of the rectangle toward the center, overlapping the bottom third, like a letter, and give the dough a quarter-turn to the right. Roll the dough into a large rectangle, 1/2 inch thick, and fold into thirds again. This completes the first double turn. Using a dry pastry brush, brush any excess flour from the dough.
• Repeat the rolling, folding, and turning process 2 more times to execute another double turn, refrigerating the dough for a few minutes if the butter becomes too warm. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and put in refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Repeat the rolling, folding, and turning process again to execute 1 more double turn. There will be 6 turns in all. The dough needs to be rolled out to a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle each time. With each turn, the dough will become smoother and easier to handle. Store the dough, wrapped well in plastic, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months (thaw in the refrigerator).

ROUGH-PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Sift 250g strong plain flour and 1 tsp fine sea salt into a large bowl. Roughly break 250g butter into small chunks, add them to the bowl and rub them in loosely. You need to see bits of butter.
• Make a well in the bowl and pour in about two-thirds of 150ml cold water, mixing until you have a firm rough dough adding extra water if needed.
• Cover with cling film and leave to rest for 20 mins in the fridge.
• Turn out onto a lightly floured board, knead gently and form into a smooth rectangle.
• Roll the dough in one direction only, until 3 times the width, about 20 x 50cm. Keep edges straight and even. Don't overwork the butter streaks; you should have a marbled effect.
• Fold the top third down to the centre, then the bottom third up and over that. Give the dough a quarter turn (to the left or right) and roll out again to three times the length.
• Fold as before, cover with cling film and chill for at least 20 mins before rolling to use.

QUICK PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Mix flour and salt in a large, chilled stainless-steel bowl. Cut the butter into very thin pieces. Using a pastry blender, or working with your fingertips, cut butter into the flour until the butter is in small lumps, about 1/2 inch in diameter. (A food processor will not work for this pastry because it cuts the butter too finely.)
• Stir in the water, a little at a time, pressing the dough together. Turn dough out onto a well-floured board and roll it into a rough rectangle. The dough will be very crumbly. Fold into thirds and rotate it a quarter turn to the right. Roll into a large rectangle and fold into thirds again. This completes the first double turn. Remove excess flour with a wide brush. Wrap dough in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
• Repeat this rolling and turning process twice more, chilling well between double turns. With each turn the dough will become smoother and easier to handle. This puff pastry, like the classic version, requires 6 turns (accomplished as 3 double turns) before it is complete.
• Store the dough, wrapped well in plastic, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for future use.

SHORTCUT PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Whisk sugar, salt, and 2 1/2 cups flour in a large bowl to combine. Grate 1/2 cup butter on the large holes of a box grater directly into bowl (work quickly so the butter doesn't soften too much in your hands). Thinly slice remaining 3/4 cup butter and add to bowl. Toss to coat butter, then quickly smash slices with your fingers into smaller, flatter pieces. Gradually drizzle in 7 Tbsp. ice water, tossing constantly with a fork to distribute. Using your hands, knead dough a couple of times in bowl to bring together in large clumps. Transfer clumps to a piece of plastic wrap, leaving dry bits behind. Toss dry bits in bowl, drizzling in more ice water by the teaspoonful as needed, until they hold together when squeezed in your hand (it will be very dry, which is normal). Add to dough on plastic and wrap tightly, forming into a 6" square. Flatten, pushing dough into corners and pressing out any air pockets. Chill 2 hours.
• Let dough sit at room temperature about 4 minutes to soften. Roll out on a lightly floured surface into a long rectangle about 1/4" thick. Fold into thirds like a letter and rotate 90°F. Repeat rolling and folding process, dusting with more flour as needed. Rewrap tightly and chill at least 30 minutes before using.
• Dough can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

QUICK PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Beat the flour with the water and salt in an electric mixer just to mix a little. Add the butter, broken into pieces, and beat to mix a little. Do the rest of the mixing by hand.
• Press out the dough and fold into a piece about 5 inches by 7 inches. Flour a board, rolling pin and top of the dough and roll out to a rectangle about 8 inches by 21 inches, about 1/8-inch thick.
• The folding: Fold one-third of the dough over the other two-thirds and then fold the remaining third so that you have three layers. Press down, turn, flour and roll again into a 21-by-8-inch piece.
• Fold in thirds again and refrigerate for a half hour.
• Roll out again on a floured surface to form a piece 21 inches by 8 inches. Fold into a double fold. (Fold over dough so that the ends meet in the middle, then fold in half.) Repeat rolling and folding. Refrigerate for a half hour before rolling out to bake.
• Beat the dough with the side of a rolling pin to about a thickness of 1/3inch. Roll out as thin as possible, about 1/32 of an inch thick, and place in a 10-by-15-inch baking pan, lined with parchment or wax paper. Trim any dough hanging over the edges. Prick all over with a fork and refrigerate for one or two hours, or overnight.
• Transfer to a second 10-by-15-inch pan (pan cannot be chilled or pastry will not bake properly).
• Bake at 250 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden. Cool and cut off edges, crush the trimmings and set aside.
• Cut into three lengthwise pieces.

QUICK PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Place flour and salt in the work bowl of a food processor. Add butter pieces and process with on-off pulses until chunks are size of kidney beans.
• Combine lemon juice and water. With motor running, pour liquid into work bowl in a steady stream. This should take no longer than 30 seconds; dough shouldn't come together in the bowl.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface and push into a rectangle. Sprinkle lightly with flour and roll out to 1/2 inch thick. Fold into thirds, letter style.
• Turn so ends are at 6 and 12 o'clock and roll out to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Fold into thirds. Repeat one more time. Wrap dough in plastic; chill at least 4 hours.