Aerial and crisp, puff pastry is the richest pastry; still, it’s the lightest. The recipe uses equal quantities of butter and flour. It’s a bit time consuming; however, it doesn’t require plenty of work, only re-rolling it once every 30 minutes. The lemon juice softens the gluten in the flour and makes the dough more supple but measure it carefully, as too much lemon juice can make the pastry difficult to handle 🍋. Try not to chill the pastry longer than 30 minutes between re-rolling it as the butter will harden and can break the dough. If left for longer than 30 minutes, let the puff pastry rest for 10 minutes at room temperature before re-rolling.
It is essential to work on cold surfaces and chill water and butter before using them. The recipe makes enough for two single–crusts for 1.5 liter pie dishes or fifteen 8.5cm vol-au-vents. Both sweet and savory fillings or topping work great. In the picture above I used caramelized red onion and brown creminis to make a delicious and easy appetizer. 🍴😎
- 225 gr/2 cups white bread flour
- 225 gr/1 cup chilled butter
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
- 150 ml/2/3 cup chilled water
- Sift flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Cut or rub 2 tbsp of butter into flour until it resembles fine crumbs.
- Place remaining butter between two sheets of plastic wrap and gently beat it up into a 15 cm/6 in flat square using a rolling pin.
- Make a well in the middle of dry ingredients. Combine lemon juice with water and add to well. Stir with cold utensil adding more water if necessary. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
- Flour rolling pin and roll out a 25 cm/10 in square. Don’t kneat it even if it looks lumpy.
- Place butter diagonally in the center of dough and bring each side of the dough in the center of the butter, to enclose it completely.
- Roll the dough to a 40 x 50cm/ 16 x 6in rectangle, then fold the lower third if the pastry over the center third and the top third of pastry down over that. Seal edges gently with rolling pin. Brush off any excess flour and wrap the pastry in plastic wrap, then chill for 30 minutes.
- Roll out the pastry to the same size again, with sealed edges on top and bottom. Fold and chill as before.
- Repeat 5 more times.
- Use right away according to recipe directions or wrap tightly in clear film and use in the next 3 days.
