Rough Puff Pastry

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 lb chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1/4 cup chilled lard or 1/4 cup vegetable shortening, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 4 -6 tablespoons ice water

Recipe

• 1 sift fry ingredients together into a large, chilled mixing bowl. add cold butter and lard pieces, and working quickly, rub flour and fat together until the texture of coarse meal. if you prefer, you can use a pastry blender or knives. you may also use a mixer or food processor, but take great care not to overmix or overprocess.
• 2 add 4 tbsp icy cold water and quickly blend into flour mixture.
• 3 gather all the dough and crumbs up into a ball. if it is too crumbly and will not hold together, add up to 2 tbsp more icy cold water, 1 tsp at a time, until it holds together.
• 4 lightly dust pastry with flour, wrap in wax paper, and chill for 30 minutes.
• 5 place pastry on lightly floured board and gently press into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. dust flour underneath and on top of pastry. roll out into a rectangle about 21x6 inches. fold into thirds to form a three-layer rectangle about x6 inches.
• 6 turn pastry 1/4 turn, dusting underneath with flour if needed. roll out again into a 21x6 inch rectangle, and again fold into thirds.
• 7 repeat two more times, turning a quarter turn before rolling out each time and ending with the pastry folded into a 7x6 inch packet.
• 8 wrap tightly in wax paper, foil, or a freezer bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3-4 days.