Simple Homemade Puff Pastry
Four ingredients and at least six butter turns — a from-scratch puff pastry for anything that needs shatter-crisp layers. Makes about 1½ pounds of dough, the equivalent of 2 store-bought sheets.
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour - plus more for dusting
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup very cold water
- 1 cup unsalted butter - 2 sticks, cold
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Gradually add the cold water, stirring until the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it a few times to bring it together. Shape the dough into a square, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
- While the dough is chilling, prepare the butter. Place the sticks of butter between two sheets of parchment paper and pound them with a rolling pin until they're about ½-inch thick. Shape the butter into a square that is ¾ the size of your dough square. Refrigerate until needed.
- Roll out the corners of your dough square, leaving a thicker "hill" of dough in the middle. Place your chilled butter square on the "hill" and fold the corners of the dough over the butter, sealing the edges.
- Roll the dough into a rectangle about ½-inch thick. Fold the dough in thirds like a letter, then rotate the dough 90 degrees. This completes the first turn.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and repeat the rolling, folding, and chilling process at least five more times. Remember: the more turns, the more layers your puff pastry will have.
- When you're ready to bake, roll the dough to your desired thickness, cut it into desired shapes, and bake at 425°F (220°C) until puffed and golden, about 15-20 minutes.
Notes
Yield: this makes roughly 1½ pounds of dough — about the same as 2 store-bought puff pastry sheets. Nutrition below is figured per one-twelfth of the batch, which is roughly the portion you'd get from a single pastry.
The chilling time is not optional. It covers the initial 30-minute rest plus 30 minutes per turn. Cold butter is what makes the layers puff — if it warms up and blends into the dough, you get pastry instead of layers.
Freezing: wrap the finished dough tightly and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.
Nutrition
Calories: 208kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 2gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.6gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 99mgPotassium: 26mgFiber: 1gVitamin A: 473IUCalcium: 8mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is an estimate, calculated from the listed ingredients, and provided as a courtesy.
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