Makes 3 lb

This batch makes enough puff pastry for a few projects, but the dough freezes well, so don’t hesitate to double this recipe. The key to puff pastry is taking your time to chill the dough between folds. If it’s too soft, the butter will ooze out of the dough, but on the other hand, if it’s too hard, it will tear. Rolling the dough should take some pressure, but should not feel impossible.

Ingredients

Dough

  • 3 3/4 cups bread flour
  • 1 cup pastry flour
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/4 lb (1 stick) unsalted butter, soft
  • 1 cup plus 2 tbsp cold water

Roll-In

  • 1 lb plus 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, malleable
  • 1/2 cup bread flour

Directions

  1. To prepare the dough, place the flours, salt, butter, and water in the mixer and blend on low speed with the dough hook attachment until a smooth dough is formed. Shape the dough into a rough rectangle. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and dust the paper lightly with flour. Transfer the dough to the sheet pan, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.
  2. To prepare the roll-in, blend the butter and flour on low speed with the dough hook attachment until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a sheet of parchment paper. Form into a rectangle 1/2 in thick. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm but still malleable. Do not allow the roll-in to become hard. It should be the same consistency as the dough when the two are rolled together. The butter must not be allowed to become so soft that it begins to ooze from the dough as it is rolled, nor should it be so firm that it could tear the dough or break into bits during rolling. Before use, the roll-in may be allowed to stand at room temperature for a few minutes if it is too hard, or re-refrigerated if it becomes too soft
  3. To lock the roll-in into the dough, turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and roll it into a rectangle twice the size of the roll-in, keeping the edges straight and the corners squared. Place the roll in on one half of the dough and fold the other half over to cover the roll in. Fold the edges of the dough up and over to seal the dough.
    Locking in butter for puff pastry.
  4. Roll the dough into a rectangle 8 by 12 in, making sure the edges are straight and the corners are squared. Administer a four-fold: divide the sheet of pastry visually into quarters, and fold the outer quarters into the middle so that their edges meet. Then fold the dough over as if closing a book. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 30 to 45 minutes under refrigeration.
    Folding puff pasty into thirds.
  5. Turn the dough 90 degrees from its position before it was refrigerated and roll out into a rectangle 8 by 12 in, making sure the edges are straight and the corners are squared. Administer a three-fold: fold the right side of the dough toward the left so that it covers about 2/3 of the rectangle. Fold the left side over the other dough to meet the folded end, like a letter. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and allow it to rest under refrigeration for 30 minutes. 6. Repeat this process two more times for a total of two four-folds and two three folds, turning the dough 90 degrees each time before rolling and allowing the dough to rest, covered in plastic wrap, under refrigeration for 30 minutes between each fold.
    Folding the pastry dough using the four-fold, or book-fold method.
  6. After completing the final fold, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow it to rest under refrigeration for 30 minutes before using.