Having puffs always reminds me of my childhood days. Me as a kid, always enjoyed it in the evenings when guests happen to visit our home. Those thin crisp buttery umami layers won our hearts. As my teacher was demonstrating the puff pastry at the class, I was like, OMG! I would rather buy from a bakery than making it. Yes, it's a bit complex project but when you master it you will love to make this over and over again. It's satisfying because you use your own choice of butter. The quality of the butter also matters. I came across some puffs at few bakeries which lead to palate cling, a greasy feel on the palate, and tats not pleasant. However, there are good-tasting puffs too. Have a look at the commercial fats. They are called as bakery/pastry margarine. Margarine vary from biscuits to cakes, puffs to breads. I have tasted puffs made with the pastry margarine, it tasted good! Don't panic! You don't have to get this one. A regular one will work too :).
To Make This Recipe, You'll Need :
All Purpose Flour
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500 Grams + Extra for dusting
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Salt
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1 Teaspoon
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Sugar
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2 Teaspoons
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Water
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Around 250ml
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Lime/ Lemon Juice
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Juice of 1 Lemon
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Butter
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300 Grams
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Method :
1. To the flour add the salt, sugar and mix it well.
2. Add lime juice to the water and stir well. Add this water gradually to the flour and form a stiff dough.
2. To the dough ball add 50 grams of butter and knead well.
3. Cover this dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Now, refrigerate the dough, because, for further process, the cold dough is the key.
4. Meanwhile, eyeball the butter and divide it into 3 equal portions.
5. When the dough ball is cold, it's time to form the layers. Dust the counter with the flour and make a thin rectangle out of it. (I know mine was not a rectangle, but as I continued to form the layers, I shaped into a rectangle)
6. Cover 3/4th of the rectangle dough with a thin layer of butter.
7. Sprinkle flour over the buttered rectangle dough and fold the dough as shown in the pictures.
8. Finally fold the dough in half and refrigerate again for 30 minutes. (Place the dough on a Tray dusted with flour)
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| Cover the dough with a clean cloth and refrigerate for another 30 minutes. |
10. For the third time, make a rectangle, cover the whole rectangle with butter, fold the dough and refrigerate. (By now, your butter should be finished)
11. You could stop here or continue to fold for a further 3 to 4 times which gives many layers.
12. To bake the puff pastry, make sure the pastry is cold. Bake in a very hot oven for about 10 to 12 minutes.
13. Do not apply pressure as you roll out the pastry. The pastry should be 1/2 inch thick.
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE OVEN?
Puff pastry comes under the category of Laminated dough. The process of folding butter into the dough multiple times to create thin alternating layers of butter and dough is called Laminated dough. When the heat of the oven hits the cold dough, the water present in the butter and the dough converts into steam. This steams puffs up each layer before it evaporates and thus gives us a result of several layers. So, the many times you fold, the many layers you get.
Notes :
1. The dough should be cold, spreading the butter on the cold dough is easy. If the dough is warm, the butter will melt into the dough. There won't be any alternate layers of butter and dough which is a disaster.
2. Always dust the pastry each time you give it a fold.
Thank You For Visiting Blessy's Kitchen :)
