I would like to try to make my own puff pastry instead of buying
frozen dough. Does anyone have a good recipe? I've heard it is
difficult to make, but I'm up for the challenge.

"Sarah" > wrote in message
om...
> I would like to try to make my own puff pastry instead of buying
> frozen dough. Does anyone have a good recipe? I've heard it is
> difficult to make, but I'm up for the challenge.

I wouldn't say that it is difficult. It is just something that has a lot of
steps and you have to let it rest in the refrigerator between turns.
Therefore, it takes a lot of total time, but not that much hands-on time.
You can see a video of the process and recipe he
http://tinyurl.com/3h559

I learnt how to make it from Julia Childs book
Mastering The Art Of French Cooking.
I borrowed the book from the library,
It tells you the right texture the butter has to be to make it work, also
how to get the butter mallable as she puts it, plus many more helpful
idea's.
As with all Julia's recipes and methods, they work. The enclosed video
is Julia but I think it is easier to refer to the book. qahtan


"Vox Humana" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Sarah" > wrote in message
> om...
> > I would like to try to make my own puff pastry instead of buying
> > frozen dough. Does anyone have a good recipe? I've heard it is
> > difficult to make, but I'm up for the challenge.
>
> I wouldn't say that it is difficult. It is just something that has a lot
of
> steps and you have to let it rest in the refrigerator between turns.
> Therefore, it takes a lot of total time, but not that much hands-on time.
> You can see a video of the process and recipe he
> http://tinyurl.com/3h559
>
>

"qahtan" > wrote in message
.. .
> I learnt how to make it from Julia Childs book
> Mastering The Art Of French Cooking.
> I borrowed the book from the library,
> It tells you the right texture the butter has to be to make it work, also
> how to get the butter mallable as she puts it, plus many more helpful
> idea's.
> As with all Julia's recipes and methods, they work. The enclosed video
> is Julia but I think it is easier to refer to the book. qahtan
>

The video is a good start, but I agree having a book is a good idea. I use
the puff pastry recipe in "Professional Baking." Gisslen has you mix a
little flour with the butter on low in the stand mixer to make the butter
more malleable and to help absorb the water in the butter As I recall,
there is a bit of butter in the dough also.. His recommendation is that the
dough and butter should have the same consistency so they can be laminated
without having the butter break through the dough. I think I will try the
method in the video next time just for comparison. I tried Julia's "blitz
puff pastry" recipe, but I didn't think it was worth the bother. I might
consider using it for a pot pie, but not for anything else.

What I would really like with puff pastry is to have the actual layers of
paste not so "short" I have tried with less butter, with other shortening
even tried oil in that initial dough, but it still comes out too short for
what I am looking for.
Maybe it's the flour, or perhaps you have an idea, :-))
I don't know if it was Julia's recipe but yes I have added a little flour
to the butter, I know it took me a long long time to find a recipe that
worked half decent. qahtan




"Vox Humana" > wrote in message
...
>
> "qahtan" > wrote in message
> .. .
> > I learnt how to make it from Julia Childs book
> > Mastering The Art Of French Cooking.
> > I borrowed the book from the library,
> > It tells you the right texture the butter has to be to make it work,
also
> > how to get the butter mallable as she puts it, plus many more helpful
> > idea's.
> > As with all Julia's recipes and methods, they work. The enclosed
video
> > is Julia but I think it is easier to refer to the book. qahtan
> >
>
> The video is a good start, but I agree having a book is a good idea. I
use
> the puff pastry recipe in "Professional Baking." Gisslen has you mix a
> little flour with the butter on low in the stand mixer to make the butter
> more malleable and to help absorb the water in the butter As I recall,
> there is a bit of butter in the dough also.. His recommendation is that
the
> dough and butter should have the same consistency so they can be laminated
> without having the butter break through the dough. I think I will try the
> method in the video next time just for comparison. I tried Julia's "blitz
> puff pastry" recipe, but I didn't think it was worth the bother. I might
> consider using it for a pot pie, but not for anything else.
>
>

Homemade Puff Pastry from Scratch Recipe
Ingredients
13 ounces (390 g) all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp (7 ml) salt
3 ounces (90 g) unsalted butter, cold
7 fluid ounces (210 ml) water, cold

10 ounces (300 g) unsalted butter, softened


Instructions
To form the detrempe, sift the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Cut
the cold butter (3 ounces) into small pieces and then cut the pieces into
the flour until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.

Make a well in the center of the mixture and add all the water at once.
Using a rubber spatula or your fingers, gradually draw the flour into the
water. Mix until all the flour is incorporated. Do not knead. The detrempe
should be sticky and shaggy-looking.

Note: The detrempe can be made in a food processor. To do so, combine the
flour, salt and pieces of cold butter in a food processor bowl fitted with
the metal blade. Process until a coarse meal is formed. With the processor
running, slowly add the water. Turn the machine off as soon as the dough
comes together to form a ball. Process with the remainder of the recipe.

Turn the detrempe out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough a few
times by hand, rounding it into a ball. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic
and chll overnight.

To roll in the butter, first prepare the softened butter by placing it
between two sheets of plastic wrap. Use a rolling pin to roll the softened
butter into a rectangle, approximately 5 inches by 8 inches (12.5
centimeters by 20 centimeters). It is important that the detrempe and butter
be of almost equal consistency. If necessary, allow the detrempe to sit at
room temperature to soften or chill the butter briefly to harden.

On a lightly floured board, roll the detrempe into a rectangle approximately
12 inches by 15 inches (30 centimeters by 37.5 centimeters). Lift and rotate
the dough as necessary to prevent sticking.

Use a dry pastry brush to brush away any flour from the dough's surface.
Loose flour can cause gray streaks and can prevent the puff pastry from
rising properly when baked.

Peel one piece of plastic wrap from the butter. Position the butter in the
center of the rectangle and remove the remaining plastic. Fold the four
edges of the detrempe over the butter enclosing it completely. Stretch the
dough if necessary; it is important that none of the butter be exposed.

With the folded side facing up, press the dough several times with a rolling
pin. Use a rocking motion to create ridges in the dough. Place the rolling
pin in each ridge and slowly roll back and forth to widen the ridge. Repeat
until all the ridges are doubled in size.

Using the ridges as a starting point, roll the dough out into a smooth, even
rectangle approximately 8 inches by 24 inches (20 centimeters by 50
centimeters). Be careful to keep the corners of the dough as right angles.

Use a dry pastry brush to remove any loose flour from the dough's surface.
Fold the dough in thirds, like a business letter. If one end is damaged or
in worse condition, fold it in first; otherwise, start at the bottom. This
completes the first turn.

Rotate the block of dough 90 degrees so that the folded edge is on your left
and the dough faces you like a book. Roll out the dough again, repeating the
ridging technique. Once again, the dough should be in a smooth, even
rectangle of approximately 8 inches by 24 inches (20 centimeters by 60
centimeters).

Fold the dough in thirds again, completing the second turn. Cover the dough
with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Repeat the rolling and folding technique until the dough has had a total of
five turns. Do not perform more than two turns without a resting and
chilling period. Cover the dough completely and chill overnight before
shaping and baking.

Yield: 2 pounds (1 kg)

Enjoy

Chef R. W. Miller

Marriott Resorts & Hotels

"Sarah" > wrote in message
om...
> I would like to try to make my own puff pastry instead of buying
> frozen dough. Does anyone have a good recipe? I've heard it is
> difficult to make, but I'm up for the challenge.
>