American

Puff Pastry

February 20, 2020
5
10 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Prep time 18 hours
  • Makes about 3 pounds (1.36 kg) pastry
Author Notes

Making your own puff pastry is all about feel. The dough needs to remain in the ideal state of firm-but-pliable throughout the process. Adapted from my book, The Fearless Baker (Rux Martin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2017). —Erin Jeanne McDowell

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Dough
  • 3 1/3 cups (400 grams) bread flour
  • 1 2/3 cups (200 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons (6 grams) fine sea salt
  • 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons (287 grams) cool water
  • Butter block
  • 1 pound (453 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup (71 grams) bread flour
Directions
  1. Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix the bread flour, all purpose flour, and salt to combine. Add the butter and mix on low speed until it is fully incorporated and the mixture looks a little crumbly, about 1 minute. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together, 4 minutes. Raise the speed to high and mix for 1 to 2 minutes more, until the dough is smooth.
  2. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and form into a rough rectangular shape. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for about 30 minutes.
  3. Make the butter block: In the same stand mixer bowl—this time fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and flour until well combined. Scoop the mixture onto the lower third of a piece of parchment paper (cut the size of a baking sheet) and use a small offset spatula to spread it into a rectangle about ½-inch thick (about 6 by 9 inches). Fold the upper part of the parchment paper down over the butter block—you can use the paper to help you square off the edges. Transfer to the refrigerator–monitor until it is firm but pliable (about 65°F to 70°F). It should be able to gently bend without breaking.
  4. When the dough and butter block are both chilled, but flexible, it’s time to lock the butter inside the dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a rectangle slightly wider than the butter block, and twice the length (about 12 by 10 inches). If necessary, turn the rectangle so that one of the shorter ends is facing you.
  5. Peel the paper back from the top of the butter block, leaving it on the paper so that you can use it to help you guide it onto the dough. Invert it onto the bottom half of the dough, positioning it so that there is a ½-inch margin of dough around the sides and bottom of the butter block. Gently stretch the top portion of the dough to fold it down over the butter block so that it meets the opposite edge of the dough. Press the edges of the dough together firmly all the way around to seal, then fold the excess dough at the bottom and edges under itself. You should now have a firm, but pliable rectangular package of dough (about 6 by 10 inches) enveloping the butter block. If the dough feels soft, refrigerate the dough for 15 to 20 minutes before proceeding. Otherwise, proceed with Fold A.
  6. Fold A: On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a rectangle about ½-inch thick. If you’re having a hard time rolling the dough, it might be to cold—let it stand at room temperature for 5 to 15 minutes. If the dough feels soft or squishy or melty butter is breaking through, it may be too warm, and may need more time in the refrigerator to firm up.
  7. Position the dough so one of the shorter sides is facing you. The first fold is called a “four fold.” Fold the top portion of the dough about three-quarters of the way over the dough. Fold the bottom portion one quarter of the way over the dough so it meets the left edge (it should look like an open book with an off-center spine). Fold the larger side over the smaller side (essentially folding in half), then wrap and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.
  8. Fold B: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a rectangle about ½-inch thick. The next fold is called a “three fold.” Face the dough so that one of the shorter sides of the rectangle is facing you. Fold the top portion of the dough about on third of the way over the dough. Do the same with the right edge, folding it one third of the way over, resting it on top of the other piece just folded (like the way you’d fold a standard piece of paper to fit into an envelope). Wrap and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.
  9. Fold C: Repeat steps 6 through 7 to perform another “four fold.”
  10. Fold D: Repeat step 8 to perform another “three fold.”
  11. After the final fold, the dough should be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for at least 12 hours before using (and up to 2 days). For longer storage, it can be frozen for up to 3 months (thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using).

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • ehamp
    ehamp
  • Casey Mayfield Dillahay
    Casey Mayfield Dillahay
  • Laura Gaffney Dupont
    Laura Gaffney Dupont
  • Donna Chapman
    Donna Chapman
I always have three kinds of hot sauce in my purse. I have a soft spot for making people their favorite dessert, especially if it's wrapped in a pastry crust. My newest cookbook, Savory Baking, came out in Fall of 2022 - is full of recipes to translate a love of baking into recipes for breakfast, dinner, and everything in between!

12 Reviews

Jess November 18, 2023
You are amazing!! This is by far the best puff pastry dough I have ever worked with. So easy to work with and simple to put together. I made two batches this morning I am in love with it. Most recipes I have followed the dough was hard to work with and just a mess. But this one is perfect!! There aren't words to describe how elated I am to have found you. Thank you so so so much! I will use this everytime I make puff pastry and probably will make it more often. Thanksgiving and Christmas here I come!!! Only took 5 years of working with puff pastry to find the perfect recipe lol.
 
ehamp September 13, 2023
I tried this and the yeast puff pastry and both times the butter broke through. I think I have to keep it colder.
 
Casey M. July 25, 2021
Thank you for making this so easy and help build my confidence with laminated dough! Please make a video for croissants.
 
Pups224 April 27, 2021
Having made puff pastry quite a few times and now being out of practice, I found the directions excellent and the product came out well. However, the use of so much bread flour made the product heavier and yes, more bready. I didn’t get the shattering crackle as with AP flour.
 
Laura G. February 4, 2021
Thank you Erin McDowell and Food52 for another great recipe. I watched the YouTube tutorial and used this recipe for my first ever homemade traditional puff pastry and it was perfect! You really are helping me get through this lockdown (although expanding my waistline in the process!). Your tips were on point as usual. Perfect recipe with perfect results!
 
Donna C. November 16, 2020
I watched the YouTube video of this recipe before finding this link. I had absolutely no problems with it and was amazed by how much more simple it was to make than I had imagined. Perhaps I had such luck because the video shows a ton of visual cues to look for when deciding if the dough is ready for another pass. I thought it turned out exactly as intended.
 
Claire August 23, 2020
Made some croissants and palmiers with the dough! Came out delicious!!

What size is generally recommended for the croissant "triangle" I think mine were too long with too much dough in the middle since it didn't quite cook all the way through.

Also, I've always made puff pastry with a yeasted dough, but this one doesn't have any yeast. Why is that?
 
Denise October 19, 2022
Croissants are made with a yeasted dough, but puff pastry is a non-yeasted dough. Two very different things, though the lamination process is very similar. The puff in puff pastry is similar to a pie dough…the steam from the butter in a hot oven causes the puff.
 
pamels April 19, 2020
Making this dough is a nightmare.. it’s my second attempt at puff pastry and the first time it was decent but this time it went horribly- I should have paid attention to first rip as an indication that the butter was too soft.. then it began to rip everywhere and butter protruded from every corner and now I don’t know how to continue.
I’m stubborn so I will try it again in the future..
 
David A. September 1, 2020
Wow Pamels, same experience. I feel like I followed the instructions to the letter, and still had butter breaking out all over the place. I also tried the fixes Erin recommends in the video, but it hasn't done the trick. AND, I feel like temperature was good for both the butter block and the dough, so I don't get what happened?

And, like you, I am stubborn, so will also try again.
 
Steph February 14, 2021
Classic puff dough is a challenge no matter how simple the instruction, it still can take a while to get the hang of it. Definitely try her Rough Puff recipe. It’s a great compromise, less finicky and yields practically the same flaky, tasty result. It’s quicker too! Good luck!
 
pamels April 19, 2020
Making this dough is a nightmare.. it’s my second attempt at puff pastry and the first time it was decent but this time it went horribly- I should have payed attention to first rip as an indication that the butter was too soft.. then it began to rip everywhere and butter protruded from every corner and now I don’t know how to continue.
I’m stubborn so I will try it again in the future..