A warm welcome to your favorite baking and dessert blog, where we elevate every day into an unforgettable experience! This melt-in-your-mouth flaky puff pastry recipe is a great addition to your breakfast or snack options. You can have it plain or stuff it with a sweet or savory filling and turn it into a filling meal.
Puff pastry is a laminated dough just like a Croissant. Chilled butter is added to the dough, folded, and rested multiple times to create those light and airy flaky layers. This flaky puff pastry recipe does not use any leavening agent, yet it rises 8 times its original size once baked. If all the steps are followed to the ‘T’ you will have a masterpiece to call your own.
Let’s get into the juicy deets of why and how and make one for you now.
Table of contents:
- Equipment required
- Ingredients required
- Procedure
- Step-by-step picture
- Video Tutorial
- FAQ
- Recommended recipes
- Recipe Card
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What equipment do I need to make a Flaky Puff Pastry recipe?
Big Bowl:
I have used this big bowl to mix the flour and the butter.
A set of teaspoons and tablespoons:
This stainless-steel measuring spoon set is perfect. I use the one that my pastry college provided me. I did use the plastic ones but let me tell you, they may look boring but stainless steel is best for long-term and safe use.
Sieve:
This will help us remove impurities and lumps from the flour.
Weighing Scale:
You need to have a weighing scale, period! I want you to pause reading this, order one online real quick, and come back and finish reading. I’m waiting:)
Baking Tray:
The baking tray I use these days comes with the oven but investing in a good nonstick tray is essential.
Rolling Pin
A rolling pin will help you to roll the pastry dough.
Butter Paper:
Use butter paper to make sure that the dough does not stick to the rolling pin.
You cannot miss out on this list of essential tools every beginner baker must have to level up. These are the tools that came in handy when I started as a baker just like you.
What ingredients do I need to make easy homemade puff pastry?
All-Purpose Flour
Most baked goodies use all-purpose flour. It is a great choice to make your flaky puff pastry recipe. It has 9% protein content. The protein provides and holds the structure and helps you get a decent puff pastry with flaky layers.
If you’re looking to explore more recipes featuring all-purpose flour, you might enjoy trying out this flavorful No knead overnight bread- Garlic Herb Focaccia.
Icy Cold water
Icy Cold water is crucial in maintaining the temperature of the dough. This in turn helps in handling the butter which does not melt and remains solid.
Note: It is a must, that the dough and butter are cold to ensure proper lamination.
Salt
Salt helps add flavor to the dough and also helps strengthen the gluten strands making it easy to roll out during baking and lamination.
Cold Butter cubes
Use chilled butter with 82% fat also called as dry butter. It is perfect for making a flaky puff pastry recipe. President unsalted butter is the best for household purposes. Yet if you do not get it, choose Amul butter. It is not the best butter for this recipe but gets the job done. I used Amul butter in making this quiche which turned out great. You can also try making this Fluffy brioche recipe which also uses cold butter.
Note: Check the recipe card for the quantity
For the Recipe Card:
All Purpose Flour: 250 gm
Icy cold water: 125 ml
Salt: 5 gms
Cold Butter cubes: 250 grams
Step-by-step pictures on how to make Handmade puff pastry?
Step-by-step procedure to make Flaky puff pastry recipe:
Mixing flour and butter
In a big bowl, sieve the flour and salt and mix them.
Start rubbing cold butter cubes in the flour and salt mix using your fingers. Do not use your palm to mix the butter in the dough. The palm generates more heat, hence we use fingers. Wait until you see the butter partly mixed in the dough along with some chunks visible.
Now add icy cold water and start mixing the dough gently. Note that you are not aiming to make a well-mixed dough. Combine everything well. Adding icy cold water will ensure that the dough and butter are at the right temperature.
Chilling and shaping the dough
Once the dough is ready, it’s time to rest the dough. Wrap the dough in cling wrap or butter paper and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Since it is very hot in Kolkata, I had to keep my dough in the refrigerator for an hour. I also popped it in the freezer for 10 minutes before starting to work on the dough.
In the next process, first, we shape the dough into a rectangle so we can start working with it. This makes it easier to fold and roll the dough. First, roll out the dough a bit inside the butter paper. Open the butter paper and fold the dough so that it becomes a rectangle.
Wrap it up again and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to an hour.
Note: While rolling the dough ensure that the rolling pin touches the butter paper and not the dough.
Whenever you fold, you will open the butter paper fold the dough with dry hands, and again wrap it up in butter paper.It is good to roll the dough in an air-conditioned room. It will help maintain the right temperature required for the dough.
If you see that the butter is oozing out of the dough from the sides, don’t panic. This means that the dough is not chilled adequately. Wrap the dough again and place it in the fridge for some time.
If the dough seems to be cracking this means that the dough is too cold and needs to warm up a bit. Placing the dough at room temperature for some time will help tackle this.
Laminating
Once you have rolled the dough, lift the dough gently and lay it down from all sides. This ensures your dough is relaxed every time it is rolled out. Do not skip this very important step as it prevents your puff pastry from shrinking after baking.
Now the next step is to start laminating or folding. You will use the book fold method to laminate the dough. Check the picture below to get a clear idea of how you need to fold the dough.
picture source:https://artofglutenfreebaking.com/puff-pastry-gluten-free/ (the author is teaching how to make gluten-free puff pastry here btw if anyone wants to check it out)
Ensure that you roll the dough inside the butter paper because who wants butter sticking to the rolling pin and then to your hands and everywhere? If you see that the dough is sticking, use some flour to dust the dough.
Roll the dough and create a long rectangle as shown in the below picture. Then fold it as shown in the picture. This means that your first book fold is done.
Flatten and refrigerate the dough for an hour so that it cools down faster. After 1 hour take out the dough. Give another book fold and flatten it again. Wrap it up and keep it to rest in the refrigerator again for an hour.
Making puff pastry
Your flaky pastry dough is now ready. I know it is hard to believe. Making this puff pastry took us 35 minutes, excluding the resting time. 10 minutes for the dough, 5 minutes to shape the dough, 10 minutes for the first fold, and 10 minutes for the second fold.
You can now roll it to your preferred thickness and use it as per your desire to make sweet or savory treats. You can use them to make mille-feuille, tarts, and pockets. I kid you not, making mille-feuille is my kinda therapy.
In India, it is a great snack or breakfast option. Often enjoyed with tea for a melt-in-your-mouth experience. Bake the puff pastry at 180 degrees Celcius to 356 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes and you have your crunchy, light, and airy puff ready to be enjoyed.
Frequently Asked Questions about flaky puff pastry recipe:
What makes puff pastry so flaky?
The magic of flaky airy pastry lies in the fat used. We are using butter which has 2 components butter fat and water. Butter is layered between sheets of dough.
During baking, high temperature causes butter to melt. The moisture from the water becomes steam, which finds a way to escape. The dough rises because of the trapped steam. It creates beautiful little pockets with flaky layers.
Are flaky layers the same as puff pastry?
Flaky layers are a different technique of making puff pastry. The results are pretty similar. Flaky layers are used in making biscuits, pie crusts, tarts, etc.,
Here’s a blog that I recently wrote in detail explaining some popular types of puff pastry. You may find it helpful – Flaky Pastry vs Puff Pastry.
Is croissant a flaky pastry?
A croissant is a flaky pastry that uses yeast as a leavening agent.
What is flaky pastry made of?
To make Flaky pastry all you need is 4 ingredients, butter, flour, salt, and water.
Why is my puff pastry not flaky?
There could be many reasons why the pastry did not turn flaky.
The most common being the final rolled dough was too thin, butter or dough not being at the right temperature or it could also be if the dough was folded too many times. You need to be careful about these common errors which might result in a flat puff pastry.
What is the best fat for flaky pastry?
Butter with 82% fat is called dry butter and is the best for flaky pastry. You can use President Unsalted butter to get the best quality, yet, if you don’t get it, you can go ahead with Amul.
Here are a few fun recipes you can try out as a beginner baker:
Japanese Shokupan (Milk Bread using Tangzhong)
Best Ever Steamed Chicken Bao Buns Recipe
Homemade Red Velvet Cake recipe without oven
Moist Lemon Pound cake recipe from scratch
Microwave Apple Crisp for One
Homemade Quick Flaky Puff Pastry Recipe
Make your own melt-in-your-mouth masterpiece by following this step-by-step guide to make Flaky puff pastry recipe.
Ingredients
- All Purpose Flour: 250 grams
- Icy cold water: 125 ml
- Salt: 5 grams
- Cold Butter cubes: 250 grams
Directions
- Step 1 In a big bowl, sieve the flour and salt and mix them. Start rubbing cold butter cubes in the flour and salt mix using your fingers. Do not use your palm to mix the butter in the dough. The palm generates more heat, hence we use fingers.
- Step 2 Wait until you see the butter partly mixed in the dough along with some chunks visible.
- Step 3 Now add icy cold water and start mixing the dough gently. Note that you are not aiming to make a well-mixed dough. Combine everything well. Adding icy cold water will ensure that the dough and butter are at the right temperature.
- Step 4 Once the dough is ready, it’s time to rest the dough. Wrap the dough in cling wrap or butter paper and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Step 5 Since it is very hot in Kolkata, I had to keep my dough in the refrigerator for an hour. I also popped it in the freezer for 10 minutes before starting to work on the dough.
- Step 6 In the next step, first, we shape the dough into a rectangle so we can start working with it. This makes it easier to fold and roll the dough.
- Step 7 First, roll out the dough a bit inside the butter paper. Open the butter paper and fold the dough so that it becomes a rectangle. While rolling the dough ensure that the rolling pin touches the butter paper and not the dough.
- Step 8 Wrap it up again and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to an hour.
- Step 9 Whenever you fold, you will open the butter paper fold the dough with dry hands, and again wrap it up in butter paper. It is good to roll the dough in an air-conditioned room. It will help maintain the right temperature required for the dough.
- Step 10 Once you have rolled the dough, lift the dough gently and lay it down from all sides. This ensures your dough is relaxed every time it is rolled out. Do not skip this very important step as it prevents your puff pastry from shrinking after baking.
- Step 11 Roll the dough and create a long rectangle as shown in the below picture. If you see that the dough is sticking, use some flour to dust the dough.
- Step 12 Then fold it as shown in the pictures above. This means that your first book fold is done. Flatten and refrigerate the dough for an hour so that it cools down faster.
- Step 13 After 1 hour take out the dough. Give another book fold and flatten it again. Wrap it up and keep it to rest in the refrigerator again for an hour.
- Step 14 Your flaky pastry dough is now ready. I know it is hard to believe.
- Step 15 You can now roll it to your preferred thickness and use it as per your desire to make sweet or savory treats. You can use them to make mille-feuille, tarts, and pockets.
- Step 16 Bake the puff pastry at 180 degrees Celcius to 356 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes and you have your crunchy, light, and airy puff ready to be enjoyed.
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Thank You.
