Source: The complete Book of Pastry Sweet & Savory. B. Clayton
Makes 16 servings.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Tips: To make Vol-au-vents, Bouchees, Palmiers, etc...
Ingredients
Preparation
3 cups bread or unbleached flour
1 cup pastry or cake flour
1 teaspoon salt (omit if butter is salted)
1 pound unsalted butter ( 4 sticks), cold
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup ice water, see note (1)
Using Electric mixer:
1. Measure flour and salt, if needed, into the mixing bowl. Attach the flat blade. Cut the cold butter into small 1/2 inch cubes (cut each stick lengthwise into four pieces and crosswise into dice) and drop into flour.
2. Turn on the machine at low speed and stir briefly to coat butter pieces, about 10 seconds.
3. Sprinkle in the liquid and stir only 5 to 10 seconds, until it has been absorbed by the flour. Butter pieces will remain large, but the moist mixture will hold together when pressed gently into a rough mass.
Dough does not need to be chilled before rolling. If weather is hot, refrigerate flour before mixing.
4.
- Turn 1: Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. With the palms push it into a rough rectangle. Brush with flour. With a rolling pin roll into a 12-inch rectangle, 1/2 inch thick. Fold into three, as with a letter.
- Turn 2: Turn lengthwise in front of you, with ends at 12 and 6 o'clock. Roll into a rectangle 12 inch long. Fold in three, as with a letter.
- Turn 3: Again turn the folded dough lengthwise, with ends at 12 and 6 o'clock. Roll into a rectangle. Fold into three as for a letter.
- Turn 4: Repeat turn 3. This step is optional, it produces a more flaky-more layers dough. Do not add more than 4 turns or you will start to loose the layering effect. If room temperature is warm you may have to refrigerate dough for about 15-20 minutes before proceeding.
5. Refrigerated rest 4 hours or overnight. Wrap the folded dough in foil or plastic wrap. Refrigerate to chill and relax the dough for at least 4 hours or until needed within two or three days.
The dough is now ready to be rolled for any pastry recipe calling for a puff pastry.
Baking times and temperatures:
1. Refrigerate all pastries for 20 min. before baking
2. Brush cookie sheet with water or lined with parchment paper.
3. Brush with egg wash (1 egg and 1 Tbs. milk or cream).
4. Top pastries during first baking time with greased paper such as brown paper or parchment
Petites bouchees (1 1/2 inch): 400 F degrees for 15 min. and 350 F degrees for 10 min.
Bouchees (3 1/2 inch) : 425 F degrees for 20 min. and 375 F degrees for 20 min.
Vol-au-vent (8 inch): 425 F degrees for 20 min. and 375 F degrees for 30-40 min.
NOTE: 1) For a richer dough, substitute a mixture of 1 cup sour cream and 2 egg yolks for the water.
Makes approximately 3 lbs of dough, enough for two 8-inch Vol-au-vents, one dozen bouchees or four dozen petites bouchees.
Puff Pastry - 3 Minutes
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