Prep Time: 10 minutes

Inactive Time: 30 minutes

Yield: about 2-pounds of dough

Recipe inspired by:
Dessert Circus at Home: Fun, Fanciful, And Easy-To-make Desserts

Traditional puff pastry (known as détrempe…pronounced day-trah-mp in French) makes awesome pastries because of its hundreds of layers of butter trapped between flour and water. However, it can take over half-the day to create because it has to be "turned" or rolled out, folded and refrigerated at least 5 times before it can be used.

This version of puff pastry is much easier to create in a fraction of the time required to make the traditional dough. It combines puff pastry and pie crust to create the same wonderful buttery, flaky goodness found in traditional puff pastry. AND, it only has to refrigerate for 30 minutes before use! So it will be ready to go by the time you finish making the filling for your favorite recipe.

Ingredients:

Dry Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients
24 tablespoons (2 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
3/4 cup very cold water

Step-by-Step Directions with Pictures:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.

2. Pour the cubed butter onto a clean, unfloured counter. Then, pour the flour mixture over the top of the butter.

3. Use a bench scrape or chef’s knife to cut the butter into the flour. This is very similar to cutting butter and flour when making pie crust.

Continue cutting the butter and flour until the mixture is coarse and crumbly.

4. Pile up the butter crumbles and make a well in the center. Pour about half the water into the well. Use the bench scrape to cut together the water and dough.

5. Once combined, add the rest of the water and continue mixing just until it comes together.

6. Shape the rough mess into a rectangle.
It will look too dry but resist the urge to add more water. It will eventually come together.

7. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough until it is roughly a 1/2-inch thick rectangle.

8. Use the bench scrape to fold the dough into thirds; this is similar to folding a letter. Do not worry if it breaks. Just stick any broken pieces on top of the dough.

9. Turn the dough 90-degrees so it runs vertically away from you. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle that is 1/2-inch thick. Be sure to only roll along the long side (away from you) and not across the dough.

10. Continue rolling, folding and turning the dough until it comes together and looks smooth. It will take 4-5 turns before the dough is ready.

11. The final fold should look like a folded book.

To do this, fold the two ends into the center and then fold the dough in half. When finished, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at-least 30 minutes.

12. When ready to bake, remove dough from the refrigerator and transfer to a lightly floured counter. Give the dough two more folds and turns. It’s now ready to use.

It can either be used right away or stored for later use. Store in the refrigerator for up to two days or in the freezer for up to a month.

Related Techniques:

• How-to Accurately Measure Flour

Baker’s Tips:

• This puff pastry works well for any pastry recipe that needs a puff pastry shell.
• After the final two turns in step 14, the dough would benefit from another 30 minute stay in the refrigerator. This is not necessary but it will make the dough easier to work use.

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Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Dry Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients
24 tablespoons (2 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
3/4 cup very cold water

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Pour the cubed butter onto a clean, unfloured counter. Then, pour the flour mixture over the top of the butter. Use a bench scrape or chef’s knife to cut the butter into the flour. This is very similar to cutting butter and flour when making pie crust. Continue cutting the butter and flour until the mixture is coarse and crumbly.

Pile up the butter crumbles and make a well in the center. Pour about half the water into the well. Use the bench scrape to cut together the water and dough. Once combined, add the rest of the water and continue mixing just until it comes together. Shape the rough mess into a rectangle. It will look too dry but resist the urge to add more water. It will eventually come together.

Use a rolling pin to roll the dough until it’s roughly a 1/2-inch thick rectangle. Use the bench scrape to fold the dough into thirds; this is similar to folding a letter. Do not worry if it breaks. Just stick any broken pieces on top of the dough. Turn the dough 90-degrees so it runs vertically away from you.

Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle that is 1/2-inch thick. Be sure to only roll along the long side (away from you) and not across the dough. Continue rolling, folding and turning the dough until it comes together and looks smooth. It will take 4-5 turns before the dough is ready. The final fold should look like a folded book. To do this, fold the two ends into the center. Then, fold the dough in half. When finished, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at-least 30 minutes.

When ready to bake, remove dough from the refrigerator and transfer to a lightly floured counter. Give the dough two more folds and turns. It’s now ready to use. It can either be used right away or stored for later use. Store in the refrigerator for up to two days or in the freezer for up to a month.