Discover the magic of crafting French puff pastry in your own kitchen, the key to creating heavenly classic French dessert like pastry chefs. Achieve irresistibly flaky and buttery pastries that will amaze your taste buds.
Looking for more French basic recipes? Give these a try, French pastry cream, French Crêpes, French meringue and French buttercream.
Jump to:
What is pâte feuilletée?
French puff pastry, or "pâte feuilletée," is a versatile pastry dough known for its flaky, buttery layers, often used in both sweet and savory recipes. It is created by folding layers of dough and butter to create a light and airy texture.
Certainly, it may sound technical, but the secret lies in the French "tourage" method (laminated dough), where layers of butter and dough are alternated through folding. This process results in the incredible flaky pastry, known as "feuilletage," once the pastry is baked.
Why you'll love this recipe
Ingredients for this recipe
You need these ingredients to make classic puff pastry:
- Flour: All-purpose flour serves as the main dry ingredient, providing the structure for the pastry dough.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter previously melted and cooled before use.
- Water: Cold water is crucial for achieving the right dough texture.
- Salt: Salt enhances flavor and helps strengthen the dough.
- Butter for Folding: For the folding and rolling process, use cold butter with a high-fat content. This specialized butter creates the distinct layers and flakiness characteristic of puff pastry.
How to make Traditional French puff pastry
Here are some quick visual instructions. Don't forget that full recipe instructions with exact ingredients can be found in the recipe card below!
Make the Dough
Step 1: Place all ingredients in the large bowl of a mixer fitted with the dough hook and knead for 3-5 minutes until you have a soft dough.
Step 2: Form the dough into a ball and incise crosswise with a knife, then wrap it in plastic and place in the fridge for about 2 hours.
Stir in the butter block
Step 3: Roll out the dough into a square with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface and place the butter block in the center (see picture), the dough should be a little larger than the size of the butter.
Step 4: Fold the corners over the butter to cover it completely.
Folding Process
When crafting your homemade puff pastry recipe, it's essential to master two types of turns: the "single fold" and the "double fold" in the laminated dough process.
- Single fold: This involves rolling out the dough into a large rectangle and folding it into three parts. It counts as 1 turn.
- Double fold: Also known as the "wallet fold," this requires rolling out the dough into a large rectangle and folding it into four parts. It counts as 1.5 turns.
How to make a simple fold
Roll out the dough into a long rectangle at least 30-40 cm long and fold in 3, fold the top edge first and then cover with the bottom edge (see picture).
How to make a double-fold
Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a length of about 40 cm. Fold in 4, first folding the top edge over ¼ of the length of the dough. Fold over the remaining ¾ without covering the top edge. Finish by folding the whole again in 2.
How to bake a puff pastry
- Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and cut into the desired shape, to line your tart dish or spread out on a baking sheet according to your recipe.
- Bake at 350°F/180°C for approx. 30-45 minutes, depending on recipe and filling, until golden brown.
Recipe suggestions
- French pastries: mille-feuilles, croissants, pains au chocolat, French king cake, St honoré, Filled with vanilla pastry cream, whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or other filling.
- Fruit Tarts: Create delectable fruit tarts with a layer of pastry cream or sweetened cream cheese and top with fresh fruits like berries, kiwi, and peaches.
- French St honoré: made with a sheet of puff pastry filled with a Crème Chiboust and cream puffs filled with vanila pastry cream
- Crescent rolls: The same recipe as cinnamon rolls but with puff pastry for a crisp version.
- Palmiers: Make sweet and crispy palmiers by sprinkling sugar on rolled-out puff pastry, folding, and slicing before baking.
- Turnovers: Fill puff pastry with apples to make apple turnovers or other fruits, chocolate, or savory ingredients like spinach and feta for quick and delicious turnovers.
- Quiches: Line a pie dish with puff pastry to make a savory quiche with your choice of fillings like bacon, cheese, and vegetables.
- Baked Brie: Wrap a wheel of Brie cheese in puff pastry, add toppings like nuts and jam, and bake until golden for an impressive appetizer.
- Sausage Rolls: Wrap sausages in puff pastry and bake for a savory snack or appetizer.
Pro tips for this recipe
Storage and Freeze
Refrigeration: Store unused puff pastry in the refrigerator. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out. It can be refrigerated for up to 2-3 days.
Freezing: If you want to store puff pastry for a longer period, freezing is a great option. Wrap it in plastic wrap, parchment paper, or foil, ensuring it's well-sealed. Then, place it in a freezer-safe bag or container.
Variations & Substitutions
Recipe Questions
Use a dry butter with at least 80% fat content.
For a lighter dough, reduce the amount of kneading butter and make at least 6 turns.
Finish baking the dough at 230°C for 5 minutes for more crispness.
Apply a layer of sugar syrup on top of the dough after baking.
More French Pastries
I hope you love this Traditional puff pastry. If you make it, be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Happy Baking!
Print
French Puff Pastry
- Total Time: 8 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 20 servings
Description
Classic light and crispy puff pastry for 500g of dough (for 1 galette des rois or 2 sweet or savoury puff pastry tarts)
Ingredients
Puff pastry
- 250 g (2 cups) Flour - All-purpose or bread flour or a mixture of both
- 35 g (2 ½ tbsp) Butter - unsalted and melted
- 5 g Salt
- 125 ml (½ cup) Water - cold
- 200 g (1 cup) Butter - for folding
Instructions
The dough
- Melt the butter in the microwave and let it cool for a few moments.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, place the cold water, then the melted butter, the salt and finish by adding the flour.
- Mix at medium speed with the hook for about 3-5 minutes, until you get a smooth and soft dough.
- Take the dough out of the bowl and form a ball with your hands.
- Incise the dough in the center in a crosswise with a knife.
- Wrap the dough with cling film and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Butter for turning
- Cut out a sheet of baking paper, place the butter in the center and close the baking paper over the butter to form a square.
- Using a rolling pin, roll out the butter into a square sheet.
- Place the sheet of butter in the refrigerator.
Incorporate the butter into the dough:
- Take the butter sheet out of the fridge 10 minutes before you take out the dough.
- Roll out the dough to a square slightly larger than the butter sheet.
- Place the butter in the center of the dough and fold the corners of the dough over the butter to cover it completely.
- Roll out the dough to a rectangle about 40 cm long.
Folding process
Follow this folding process, making sure to turn the dough 90° to the right between each fold and letting the dough rest in the fridge for about 1h30 - 2 hours between each series of folds :
- 1 double fold + 1 single fold - then chill
- 1 double fold + 1 single fold - then chill
- 1 single fold then use
- Make the first folding with either a double fold then turn the dough a quarter turn (so that the opening is always on the right) and immediately make a single fold.
- Wrap with cling film and let the dough sit in the fridge for about 1 ½ - 2 hours.
- Repeat the previous step, making a double fold + a single fold always making sure to turn the dough a quarter turn between each folding. And let the dough sit again in the fridge for another 1h30 to 2 hours.
- Take the dough out of the fridge and make this time only 1 single fold.
- You can immediately use the puff pastry for your recipe or let it rest in the fridge.
Notes
Storage :
- In the fridge: about 3 days
- In the freezer: up to 3 month
Lower fat dough:
Reduce the butter to 150 g for 250 g of flour
Lighter dough :
Make at least 6 rounds ( more puffs = lighter and less heavy)
Faster preparation:
Let the dough sit in the freezer for 30 minutes between each round.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Category: dough, crust
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Calories: 130
- Sodium: 181
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 10
- Protein: 1
- Cholesterol: 25
Leave a Reply