Puff Pastry

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup ice water
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 pinch flour

Recipe

• 1 ok, you get the whole story!
• 2 "before beginning the adventure with puff paste there is one thing to be explained that will make its compositions comparatively easy.
• 3 (ha ha!) the butter used must be washed.
• 4 the purpose of washing it is to make it elastic.
• 5 it should be soft through being kneaded, but in no sense soft through being melted- quite the contrary, it must be soft and cold at the same time.
• 6 in winter turn on the cold water faucet.
• 7 manipulate the butter with the hands under the stream of cold water until it is creamy and waxy.
• 8 at other seasons, do this in a quart of ice water placed in a bowl of ice.
• 9 the butter may be kneaded with a spoon if preferred.
• 10 the final kneading of the butter is done on a board or it is patted briskly in the hands until no water flies.
• 11 this is the recipe of a professional cook.
• 12 as it calls for egg yolks it differs from the orthodox rule for puff paste.
• 13 however, her results are remarkable and her method is simple, so i am giving it in preference to the usual rather complicated recipes.
• 14 (ha ha again, it is complicated!) she stresses 2 points: keep the hands, the bowl, the board and the rolling pin as cold as possible.
• 15 (ha ha, your hands will be frostbitten!) a cold windy day is best for making puff paste.
• 16 "work with hands,as in the first paragraph, under water, 1 cup of butter.
• 17 place 1/4 cup butter in a cold bowl.
• 18 form the remainder into a square and place it where it will keep cold.
• 19 add to the butter in the bowl, the flour and salt, work these ingredients with a pastry blender, 2 knives or the finger tips.
• 20 beat and add 1/4 cup ice water and 2 egg yolks, (the yolks may be omitted, in that case use in all, 6 tablespoons of water).
• 21 work these ingredients well with the hands.
• 22 if necessary add, to loosen the dough from the bowl, a pinch of flour.
• 23 place the dough were it will be cold but will not freeze, preferably in the open air.
• 24 if it is not possible to do this, fold the dough in a clean cloth and place it in a dripping pan that has been placed between 2 dripping pans filled with ice.
• 25 after 15 minutes, roll the dough into a square on a floured board.
• 26 roll it one way only, not back and forth.
• 27 a good way is out from the centre.
• 28 put the square of butter in the centre of the dough and fold the 4 corners to the centre completely covering the butter.
• 29 permit the dough to stand on a cloth or piece of waxed paper in a cold place for 1/2 hour.
• 30 turn it once to keep it from becoming dry.
• 31 roll out the dough again into a square and fold the corners to the centre.
• 32 permit it to stand again for 1/2 hour.
• 33 repeat this process.
• 34 the dough must be chilled and rolled at least 4 times in all.
• 35 chill the dough until you are ready to use it.
• 36 wrapped in waxed paper it may be kept in the refrigerator for several days.
• 37 roll it, cut it into shapes.
• 38 chill it again and bake it.
• 39 one of the secrets of success of puff paste is to have it ice cold when placed in a hot oven.
• 40 the matter of baking puff paste is a moot point.
• 41 in all rules the very cold paste is put into a very hot oven- 500°f.
• 42 in some it is baked at this temperature throughout.
• 43 in this case the pastry is covered with waxed paper after 10 minutes baking.
• 44 in other rules the heat is reduced 50 degrees every 5 minutes until the temperature is 350°f for final baking.
• 45 good luck!