Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Détrempe (Base Dough)
- 200 g all-purpose flour, sifted
- 5 g fine sea salt
- 25 g unsalted butter, softened/melted
- 100 ml ice water, very cold
Beurrage (Butter Block)
- 175 g unsalted butter, cold but pliable
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Make the détrempe (dough): In a mixing bowl, combine flour and the 25g of softened butter. Rub together until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Add the salted ice water and mix just until a rough dough forms. Do not overwork.
Shape the dough into a square, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate at 4°C/40°F for 30 minutes to relax the gluten.
Prepare the beurrage (butter block): Place the cold 175g butter between two sheets of parchment paper. Pound it with a rolling pin until it becomes a pliable 12cm (5-inch) square. It should be the same consistency as the dough. Chill briefly if it melts.
Lock-in: Roll the chilled dough into a 25cm (10-inch) square (twice the size of the butter). Place the butter block in the center, rotated 45 degrees (diamond shape). Fold the dough corners over the butter like an envelope and pinch seams tightly to seal.
First Turn: Dust the surface lightly with flour. Roll the envelope into a rectangle approximately 20cm x 50cm. Fold the top third down and the bottom third up (letter fold). Rotate the dough 90 degrees.
Second Turn: Immediately roll the dough again into a rectangle and perform another letter fold. Mark the dough with two knuckles (indicating 2 turns), wrap, and chill for 45 minutes.
Repeat steps for Turns 3 and 4: Roll, fold, rotate, roll, fold. Mark with four knuckles, wrap, and chill for another 45 minutes.
Perform Turns 5 and 6: Repeat the rolling and folding process two final times. The pastry now has hundreds of layers.
Final Chill: Wrap the finished dough block and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (preferably overnight) before rolling out to use for baking.
Chef's Notes
- Consistency is key: The butter block and the dough must be the same texture (pliancy). If the butter is too hard, it will shatter; if too soft, it will ooze.
- Use a dry brush to sweep away excess flour before every fold. Trapped flour creates gray streaks and prevents layers from bonding.
- When rolling, apply even pressure and try not to roll over the very edges of the dough, which can crush the delicate layers you just created.
- Always cut puff pastry with a sharp, straight down motion. Dragging a knife seals the layers and prevents them from rising.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Keep tightly wrapped in plastic to prevent drying or absorbing odors.
Freezer: 3 months — Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
