Puff Pastry

Ahh puff pastry, another one of those kitchen staples that everyone is just content to buy from the supermarket. It's very easy to make, can be made in a few hours with minimal effort, and tastes so much better fresh.......and it's puffier too!!!!

Yield: Roughly 1lb 6oz (640g)

Ingredients:

• 300g Flour (Roughly 2 1/2 Cups)
• 1 Cup Salted Butter (2 sticks or 16 tablespoons)
• 2/3 Cup Water

Recipe:

First, soften 14tbsp of butter. Add 31g flour (roughly 1/4 cup).

Next, mix well until a paste is formed. Place in the refrigerator for 30min. Once cooled, form paste into a square shape.

In a bowl combine the remaining 2tbsp butter (softened), flour, and water.

Mix until a nice dough ball is formed. Add more flour if necessary to produce a workable dough ball. Place in the refrigerator for 30min.

Working quickly, roll out the dough to roughly 9'' square. Place the butter square in the middle.

Fold one half of the dough over.

Then fold the other half.

Roll out the dough until the butter square is roughly rolled out evenly (dust with flour if necessary, you don't want the layers to rip open).

Turn the dough 90 degrees, roll out to roughly 9'' square again, fold in thirds again (keep the folding opposite of the first time you did it).



Pat yourself on the back you have now completed 1/3 of the process. Now quick throw this in the freezer for 15-20min (if you plan on working on this still, or the refrigerator if you want to come back to it later). Repeat the rolling and folding procedure outlined above, put back in the freezer, then repeat one final time for a total of 6 rolling and folding repetitions.

OK, now you got yourself some wonderful puff pastry with so much potential. Pot pie crusts, pastries.....ooh the possibilities.