When I learned how easy homemade puff pastry was to make, I couldn’t believe I had waited so long to enjoy this.  I always disliked to “slick”, yuck feeling I had in my mouth after eating commercially prepared puff pastry.  Not any more!  Now I just make my own.  I like to make a batch and freeze it or make it into Danish and breakfast pastry’s then freeze them individually so I can take out just what I need for breakfast, friends who come over during the day for coffee, guests, or the in-laws.  Fresh baked pastries,  you’ll look like a rock star!

Flakey Puff Pastry

1 lb. all-purpose flour

1/3 oz. salt

2 oz. unsalted butter, room temp.

8 oz. water (plus additional as needed)

Put all the ingredients in a mixer and mix until a rough dough forms (add more water as needed to get the dough to come together).

Take out and knead by hand for 3 minutes until a smooth dough forms or switch to a dough hook and machine knead for about 1-2 minutes until the dough is smooth.  Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest.

 Additional Ingredients

1 lb butter, room temp.

Flatten each stick of butter individually between a folded piece of parchment paper.

Roll the dough out into a rectangle about 10 inches wide and 18 inches long.  Place four “plates” of butter stacked on top of each other in the center of the dough.

Fold one end over the butter stack then the other end (letter-fold).  Carefully brush the excess flour off the dough.

Roll out again to about 16 inches and do another letter fold.

Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.  Do 4 more letter folds letting the dough rest for 30 minutes after two folds.  Use within three days in the refrigerator or freeze for up to 6 months.

NOTE:  If your dough gets too warm it will tear and the butter will leak out from between the layers.  If this happens, dab a little flour over the exposed butter and wrap in plastic wrap and put in the frig for 15 minutes.  Make sure to roll the rolling-pin, don’t push it.  This will help prevent the tears.