Classic Puff Pastry from Scratch - Pate Feuillettee

The traditional puff pastry has been around for generations and is the base of many wonderful pastries. Create sweet or savory treats, breakfast to desserts, using homemade puff pastry. Made using the classic method it's flaky, buttery, and much better than store-bought. Learn to make puff pastry from scratch using my no-fail method, step-by-step progress pictures, and video

If you bake often, then you must have used this wonderful light, crispy and flaky pastry dough called puff pastry. A base to make many wonderful treats, both sweet and savory. 

We use it to make savory dishes like chicken pot pie and quick puff pastry pizzas, as well as in desserts like Napoleon, Nutella puffs apple turnovers and more. 

I think the reason we use it so widely and so often is that we can buy it off the shelf rather than make it ourselves. 

Did you ever wonder why we don't make it at home? Do you want to know how to make puff pastry yourself? Well, today, I will share with you everything you need to know about puff pastry, including my no-fail recipe and fool-proof method for making it yourself perfectly every single time. 

And I know that those of you that like a little challenge, will perhaps make an attempt to making your own puff pastry, and I hope the rest of you will realize how lucky you are to be able to pick it off the shelf.  

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What is puff pastry?

The classic puff pastry is also known as Pâte feuilletée. In French, it means layered dough (laminated dough). The layers are made with just three main ingredients flour, water, and butter. And there is no leavening or yeast in the classic puff pastry. 

The puff pastry is made up of three parts -- The flour knows as the détrempe in French, the butter block which is known as the beurrage, and the Pâton, which means the package of dough by combining the two, flour and butter block into one. 

What is the puff in puff pastry? 

The butter block or beurrage is folded into the flour through a number of folds or turns known as tours in French. These fold helps create layers of butter and flour. Furthermore, these layers of butter make the dough rise in the oven during baking. The butter turns into steam and pushes up the layers of dough, thus creating a puff. And this is what creates the puff in puff pastry.

The result is thin, crispy, buttery layers of delicious pastry. They say a classic puff pastry has about 729 layers of folded dough (but looks like thousands).

Why make it homemade?

To some people puff pastry is just an ingredient you buy at the supermarkets. So often people are surprised when they hear about homemade puff pastry.

Why? Why would you make puff pastry at home? Well, first of all, there ain't nothing like homemade puff pastry. That fresh puff pastry that just melts in the mouth. Crisp, flaky and tender. And if you've ever tasted homemade fresh puff pastry, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Also, often you will get pastry chefs who proudly make puff pastry from scratch. And rightfully so, it does require patience and skill. And then there are those who make puff pastry because they can't buy puff pastry in the supermarket.

Traditional Method

Did you know that making homemade puff pastry is really easy? Yes! The honest truth is that making a homemade puff pastry is easy, and yet it is time-consuming. Because the process involves folding the dough over a few times (6 times) with 15 minutes intervals. 

Let's see: timeline for making puff pastry

• Making the dough - 5 to 7 mins
• Making the butter block - 5 to 7  mins 
• Chill - 30 mins 
• Combine the flour and butter block  - 10 mins 
• Folding the dough six times with 15 mins intervals 6 x 15 minutes - so, 90 minutes
• The process of rolling and folding itself takes only 5 minutes each time so 6 x 5 = 30 minutes 
• Final chilling - 60 mins
• Total time 230 minutes of which 180 minutes is the chilling time (inactive time) while the actual work (active time) is only 50 minutes

So, what do you think? It's difficult? Nah!! Time-consuming - yes!

Types of puff pastry 

There are four common types of puff pastry. Full, half, three-quarter and inverted puff. Where full, half and three quarters refer to the ration of fat to flour. 

For example, this recipe is a classic puff pastry, which is referred to as full puff pastry. And it uses an equal amount of flour and butter. While the half means that the weight of fat is half of the weight of the flour, and so on. 

The inverted puff is also known as an upside-down puff pastry. In which the dough in encased in the butter block. Yes, sounds complicated, and yet it is possible while it does take a little practice and getting used to it. 

Ingredients and substitutes

• Butter - The best butter for laminated dough is one with less moisture. Like a good quality European butter. High in fat and low in water content.  
• Flour - Strong bread flour is usually recommended when making laminated dough. Bread flour has a protein content of 1.5 to 12.5 %, which provides the strong gluten structure needed to trap water vapor as the pastry is baking, thus creating a nice flaky texture. All-Purpose flour can also be used instead of bread flour. For the first 10 years, I made puff pastry with only all-purpose flour because bread flour was not available. 
• Sugar - Helps the dough with water absorption. It also adds sweetness, flavor, and tenderness to the dough. 
• Liquid - You can use water, milk or cream to make puff pastry. Personally, I like using water or milk, but not cream. I find that cream makes the baked pastry darker than golden brown. 

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Step by step instructions (pin)

Dough 1 - food processor (détrempe)

• In a food processor add flour, salt, sugar, and cold chilled butter.
• Pulse 30 seconds - mix well - and pulse for another 30 seconds.
• Gradually add liquid through the food tube while pulsing at the same time. 
• Open the food processor and remove the crumbly mixture onto a clean work surface. 
• Gather it all into a ball and knead for 2 minutes.
• Tip - The kneading helps to add elasticity and gluten, and yet you don't want to over-knead the dough like bread. So knead for just about 2 minutes until it's smooth. 
• Wrap the dough in a cling/plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. 

Dough 2 - by hand (détrempe)

• In a bowl, place the flour, salt, sugar - and combine well. 
• Add the chilled cubed butter to the bowl.
• Using your hand, fork, or a pastry blender - cut or rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs (similar to when we make pie crust).
• Add water a little at a time - bringing it all together. 
• Gather it all into a dough and knead for 2 minutes. 
• Tip - The kneading helps add elasticity and gluten, and yet you don't want to over-knead the dough like bread. So knead for just about 2 minutes until it's smooth.

Butter block (beurrage)

• Place the room temperature butter in a bowl. 
• Cream for  30 secs.
• Add the flour and cream for another 30 secs. 
• Transfer to a 6 x 6 plastic wrap lined square baking pan. 
• Spread to all the corners of the pan so you have a thin 6-inch square.
• Use the wrap to cover the butter well and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. 

Laminate - flour (détrampe) and butter block (beurrage) -  (Paton)

• Make sure the dough and butter block are both chilled but not hard. If necessary leave them on the counter for a few minutes. 
• Roll the dough to a long rectangle about 13 x 7 inches (13 inches long and 7 inches wide - see notes above). 
• Place the butter block on one side of the dough.
• Flip the other side over and seal the edges. 
• Wrap the dough in cling/plastic and place it back in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Creating the folds/turns (tours)

• Place the dough on a lightly floured surface so the seam is towards the top. 
• Start by lightly tap the dough with the rolling pin on the top surface - this will soften the butter inside preventing it from cracking. (which usually happens if you just start rolling).
• Tap from bottom edge to the top - gently. Do it no more than 2 times.
• Then roll the dough to approximately 20 x 10 inches long. 
• To create the fold imagine you are dividing the dough into thirds.
• Just like a book - Fold the top third to the middle.
• Then fold the bottom third over the middle. 
• This is your first fold.  (1st fold)
• Wrap in plastic wrap again and chill for 15 minutes 

The classic puff pastry has six folds (6 tours)

• Repeat this process of tapping, rolling, and folding five more times.
• Total of six-folds. And making sure to chill between each or between every 2 folds.
• If the dough is cold and relaxed you can do two folds at one time.
• In winter, I manage two folds. But in summer I do one fold at every 15 minutes chilling time. 

Storage

• After the last fold - the puff pastry needs to rest for at least an hour. 
• This is now ready to be used in any recipe that calls for puff pastry. 
• I prefer to cut this dough in half and wrap each half separately. 
• These can be kept in the fridge for a few days (4 to 5 days).
• If you are not going to use it soon - wrap well and freeze them for months. Thawing in the fridge overnight works best. 

Frequently asked questions

Are Puff pastry, Croissants, and Danish pastry the same? 

No, they are all laminated dough, meaning they are all layers of flour and butter, and yet they are all different from each other.

• Puff pastry has no yeast and no eggs.
• Croissant dough has the addition of yeast and is made with milk just like bread, but with lamination.
• Danish pastry has yeast as well as eggs.
• While puff pastry goes thru 6 folds, a croissant goes thru just 3 or 4 folds, and a Danish pastry has about 3 turns as well. 
• Lastly, puff pastry has a flaky crusty quality, while croissant has a more bread-like quality and the Danish pastry has a chewier texture. 

Do I have to roll this dough to exact measurements?

The measurements are the one issue that often scares people and makes them afraid to try homemade.

In truth, the measurements are just guidelines. You want to roll the dough to a long rectangle that's twice the size of your butter plus an inch around to seal it. So, in this case, my butter is a 6-inch square, which means I need to roll the dough to a rectangle of about 13 inches long and a minimum 7 inches wide. 

Do I have to fold this dough like a book?

Again, the folding technique is a guideline. And it is meant to ensure that we get as many layers as possible from this number of folds. There are French, English, and Scottish method.

And no matter what method of folding you use, book fold, letter turn, double turn or combination method, depends on what is easier for you. The folds will help you create layers and layers. I find the book fold to be the easiest and most fuss-free method. 

Do I have to fold the dough six times? 

As I said above, puff pastry is folded 6 times to get as many layers as possible, while the croissant or Danish is rolled only 3 to 4 times. Therefore, you can roll the puff pastry fewer times and it will have fewer layers. And yet, it will still be delicious because it's homemade. Also, it is not recommended to go more than 7 folds as that may cause the layers to blend into each other. 

Troubleshooting

Why is my pastry tough? 

Puff pastry does need butter in the dough as well as in between the dough layers. If you add less butter in the dough you will find that the dough is quite tough to work with. It does not roll as smoothly and will tear easily, despite being chilled. So my advice when working with this dough, don't skimp on the fat. 

How long can I keep this dough in the fridge? 

The unbaked pastry will stay good in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Make sure to wrap well in plastic to prevent the dough from drying out. Baked puff pastry is best eaten fresh. Personally, I bake only as much as I need for the day and save the rest in the freezer. 

Can I use this pastry instead of filo? 

They are two completely different dough, and yes, in some cases you can use puff pastry instead of filo.
For example, you can make apple strudel with filo as well as with puff pastry. And you can also make samosa with puffs or filo. However, you can't always use them interchangeably. For example, a Baklava is best made with filo and would be a disaster with this pastry. 

How do I reheat my bake pastry treats?

The best way to bring puffs back to life is in the oven, not microwave. Bake in a preheated oven at 200C until warm through.

Does traditional pastry have an expiry? 

While the shelf life of this dough in the fridge is just 4 to 5 days, its shelf life in the freezer is really long. They say a well-wrapped puff pastry in the freezer can last up to 12 months if frozen at 0° F. I have personally never kept my puff pastry that long in the freezer so I can't confirm that. 

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