Classic Puff Pastry
Classic French puff pastry dough with folded-in butter layers that expands substantially during baking.
Ingredients
Bread flour
1 lb / 500 g
Salt
0.33 oz / 10 g
Butter (melted)
2.5 oz / 75 g
Water
8 oz / 250 g
Butter (for rolling in)
9.5 oz / 300 g
Instructions
1
Mixing the Dough - Step 1
Mix the flour and salt. Place the flour in a mound on a work surface and make a well in the center.
2
Mixing the Dough - Step 2
Pour the melted butter and water into the center of the well. Gradually stir from the inside outward to incorporate the flour into the liquids and form a dough.
3
Mixing the Dough - Step 3
Once the dough has formed, knead it briefly until it is smooth. Do not overwork it, as the dough may become too elastic and difficult to handle. Gather it into a smooth ball.
4
Mixing the Dough - Step 4
Choose the method you will use to enclose the butter. For method 1, wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes. For method 2, cut a cross in the top of the dough, wrap it in plastic film, and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
5
Enclosing the Butter, Method 1 - Step 1
Roll the dough out into a large rectangle.
6
Enclosing the Butter, Method 1 - Step 2
Place the butter between two sheets of plastic film. Soften and flatten it by beating it with a rolling pin. Set it aside while rolling out the dough.
7
Enclosing the Butter, Method 1 - Step 3
Keeping the butter between the plastic sheets, roll it out and square the edges with the rolling pin to make a rectangle about two-thirds the size of the dough rectangle.
8
Enclosing the Butter, Method 1 - Step 4
Remove the plastic from the rectangle of butter and place it on the bottom two-thirds of the dough rectangle. Fold the top third of the dough over the center to cover half the butter, then fold the bottom one-third over the center. The butter is now enclosed in the dough, making two layers of butter between three layers of dough.
9
Enclosing the Butter, Method 1 - Step 5
Give the dough 4 four-folds. This will create 1028 layers of dough and butter. Rest the dough in a cool place between folds to allow the gluten to relax. Alternatively, give the dough 5 three-folds, making a total of 883 layers.
10
Enclosing the Butter, Method 2 - Step 1
Use the rolling pin to open the four quarters of the dough created by cutting the cross. Roll the dough into the shape of a large, thick cross, keeping it thicker in the center than in the four arms.
11
Enclosing the Butter, Method 2 - Step 2
Place the butter between two sheets of parchment or plastic film. Flatten and soften it slightly by beating it lightly with a rolling pin, then roll it into a square about 3/4 in. (2 cm) thick. The butter square should be smaller than the center section of dough so that it will not overlap the dough edges in step 3.
12
Enclosing the Butter, Method 2 - Step 3
Place the square of butter in the center of the dough cross. Fold the four arms of the dough over the butter to enclose it completely like an envelope.
13
Enclosing the Butter, Method 2 - Step 4
Give the dough 6 three-folds. Rest the dough in a cool place between folds to allow the gluten to relax. This will create 1459 layers of dough and butter.
