How to Make Puff Pastry Dough Step by Step – Discover Food Tech

Being a chef is no easy task. That’s why so many of us prefer buying ready-made ingredients. And who can blame us? It can be a real chore making your own ingredients fresh. And puff pastry is no exception.

Puff pastry is the basis for all sorts of magical dishes. Preparing it fresh is a real talent. But we’ve made it easier for you with this foolproof step by step guide.

Learn From the Pro How to Make Puff Pastry Dough!

This recipe will keep your puff pastry cravings satisfied. And awaken that chef in you. But if you’re still hungry for more, why not learn from a real pro chef? Enrolling in a pastry school in California could help you realize your culinary dreams. You’ll be pulling off restaurant-quality dishes in no time.

Preparing and cooking your own pastry is much more satisfying than grabbing it off the shelf at a supermarket. Don’t believe us? Get hands-on with this mouthwatering recipe for puff pastry dough.

The Recipe for Success

The most important part of any recipe is the ingredients and tools you use.

THE TOOLS

To make the pastry dough, you don’t need any fancy gadgets. You can use a pastry scraper and rolling pin if you like, but your hands will do the trick too.

THE INGREDIENTS

Puff pastry is pretty simple in terms of ingredients. All you need is:

The measurements for these ingredients will vary based on how much pastry you want. So think about how many fresh croissants or puff pastry bites you want to make and go from there.

Step 1: Making the Dough

• In a bowl, add some flour and a pinch of salt if you want a savory pastry.
• Next, cut some cold butter into thin slices, about a ¼ inch thick.
• Toss them into the flour mixture and make sure the slices are well covered in flour.

The final step is adding the cold water. Add enough water until the ingredients resemble a dough. Make sure you don’t add too much, however. You don’t want a watery paste.

Mix the ingredients into a ball-like shape. We would recommend you use a spoon or spatula for this step. If you use your hands, you may soften the butter and melt it too much.

While mixing the dough, you may notice chunks of butter. This is crucial. The butter shouldn’t melt into the mixture. It needs to stay firm and cold so it can melt between the layers of dough when you cook it.

Just to be on the safe side, it’s best to chill the dough. Press the ball-shape flat and pop it into the fridge for about an hour.

Step 2: Kneading and Folding

Once it’s chilled, dust your workspace with flour and place the dough on it. This is when you’ll need your rolling pin. Roll the dough out into a roughly rectangular shape. It doesn’t need to be neat.

Once it resembles a rectangle, it’s ready to be folded. Ensure the size of the dough is big enough to be folded several times.

Prep your hands with some flour, so the dough doesn’t stick to you. Next, fold the dough into thirds and rotate it every time you fold. These folds are what gives the puff pastry its flakiness. Therefore, the more times you fold it, the more layers your pastry will have.

However, there’s no magic number. Generally speaking, about 4-6 times is a good amount to ensure it is flaky enough. The most important part of making puff pastry is that the dough stays cold. So after kneading and folding, it’s probably starting to warm up.

Stick it back in the fridge for another 20 minutes or so, until it’s firm.

Step 3: Roll, Bake, and Eat!

Now you’re ready for the exciting part. When your dough is chilled, take it out of the fridge and roll it out. Once your puff pastry is packed with delicious fillings, it’s ready to cook. If you want to save the dough for another time, you can freeze it for several weeks – no more reaching for the frozen pastry sheet at the supermarket.

A Final Thought

Many people shy away from making their own puff pastry, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Next time you need a little flakiness in your meal, why not give making it from scratch a try. You and your guests are sure to love the results.