Inverted puff pastry

How to make the best inverted puff pastry, an easy recipe with a crispy, airy and light flaky crust. It is perfect for the galette des rois and other homemade pastries but also for your savory recipes.

This is THE BEST recipe for inverted puff pastry, the one that all the great French pastry chefs use in their pastries, such as in the traditional recipes for the frangipane galette des rois, the mille-feuille or the St. Honoré.

Unlike the classic puff pastry recipe where butter is incorporated into the dough. Here it is simply the opposite, it is the kneaded butter (a mixture of butter and flour) that will enclose the distemper (dough).

The benefit of putting the butter on the outside of the dough is that it is more evenly layered, the butter escapes less during baking, and the dough expands better, is airier, and has a crispier, lighter texture.

Composition

The recipe is as technical as the classic version and requires a little preparation time, but for those in a hurry you can always try the quick rough puff pastry ready in 10 minutes.

It is made of 2 preparations, kneaded butter, which is a mixture of butter and flour, and a distemper (dough), a mixture of flour, water, butter, salt and white vinegar which allows a better conservation.

The dough is first covered with butter, then successive folds of the dough are made. This superposition of butter and dough layers is achieved by alternating double and single turns.

This results in a beautiful, well-developed and airy puff pastry after baking, similar to the one used to make French croissants and pains au chocolat.

Folding technique : To make this dough you need to make 2 double turns + 1 single turn.

How to make reverse puff pastry

Kneaded butter :

1. Place the softened butter, cut into pieces, with the flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a flat spatula.
2. Mix at medium speed for 1 minute until smooth.
3. Pour the mixture onto a sheet of parchment paper.
4. Close the parchment paper and roll out to a thickness of 1 cm to form a square butter sheet, then place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

The distemper (the dough)

1. Place all ingredients in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the dough hook, water, melted butter, flour, salt and white vinegar.
2. Mix on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes until you have a smooth, soft ball of dough.
3. Remove the dough to a work surface and form a square. Wrap in cling film and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Tip: Avoid over-kneading the dough, it should just be mixed enough to obtain a homogeneous dough ball.

Wrap the distemper with the kneaded butter

1. Take the butter sheet out of the fridge and roll it out on a floured work surface to form a large square.
2. Roll out the dough into a square but smaller than the size of the butter sheet.
3. Place the dough in the center of the butter and fold in the corners until it is completely covered.
4. Weld the edges with your fingers.

Tip: Apply a good layer of flour to your work surface to prevent the butter sheet from sticking too much.

Double turn :

1. Roll out the dough to a large rectangle about 30 cm long.
2. Fold in 4 (wallet), start by folding the top edge, then bring back the bottom edge and fold again in 2
3. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 1 - 1 ½ hours.

Tip: Remember to make a quarter turn to the right (side opening) before making another turn.

Single turn

1. Roll out the dough to a length of about 20 cm.
2. Fold the dough in 3 starting with the top edge, then fold the bottom edge over.
3. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for 1h-1h30.

Tip: Place the dough in the freezer for 30 minutes between rounds to shorten the resting time.

Conservation and Freeze

In the fridge:

It can easily be stored in the refrigerator for about 3 to 5 days, wrapped in cling film. After a few days, it starts to blacken but remains edible..

In the freezer:

It can be frozen perfectly raw before cooking, well wrapped in cling film or in a conservation bag for up to 3 months. To defrost, simply let it rest in the refrigerator.

Baking: To use, roll out the dough on a sheet of parchment paper to about 3 mm thick and place in the freezer for 15 minutes before baking in a preheated oven.

More crust recipes

• Shortcrust pastry
• Pate sucree - Sweet tart crust
• Tart crust - Pâte Sablée

Recipes with puff pastry

• Puff pastry apple tart
• Nutella stuffed galette des rois
• Chocolate pear galette des rois
• Chocolate galette des rois
• Almond Pithivier

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