Puff Pastry
Ingredients
1 lb butter
(salted or unsalted)
2 Tsp salt
1 lb cake flour
ice water
(amt will vary)
Directions
Sift the cake flour then measure it and sift together with the salt.
Place the butter in ice water and knead until it is pliable.
Remove 2 tbsp butter and refrigerate the rest.
With fingertips, work the 2 tbsp butter into the flour/salt mixture .
Slowly add enough ice water to form a stiff paste.
Turn out onto a lightly floured board, knead for 1 min then chill thoroughly.
Place on a lightly floured board and roll into a square sheet to 1/4 inch thick.
Lightly flour the chilled butter and place it on 1/2 of the rolled pastry.
Fold the pastry over the butter enclosing as much air as possible then fold half of pastry under the butter.
Roll and pat the pastry until it is square and 1/4 in thick.
Flour the board and rolling pin lightly as needed.
Fold the pastry into 3 layers,making sure the butter is entirely enclosed.
Repeat the process of folding and rolling 3 more times.
If butter begins to show, chill the dough until it is again firm.
After final rolling, chill the pastry one more time,roll into a 1/4 inch thick square and cut with a floured cutter into desired shapes.
Chill again, then place on baking sheet covered with 3 layers of waxed paper.
Bake at 500 deg until well puffed. lower heat to 450 deg and finished baking.
[BACK]