I love making this recipe . . . because it is one of the most marvelous of cookies and a sight to behold.
SKILL LEVEL Intermediate
TIME 1 hour 15 minutes one day before; 1 hour the day of
YIELD 8 arlettes
TIMELINE
ONE DAY BEFORE Make dough and butter block; make three folds
THE DAY OF Roll and bake
SPECIAL TOOLS
Stand mixer with dough hook and paddle attachments
Ruler
Large offset spatula
INGREDIENTS
PUFF PASTRY DOUGH
Bread flour |
1 cup, plus more as needed for dusting |
140 grams, plus more as needed for dusting |
Kosher salt |
2 1/2 teaspoons |
5 grams |
White vinegar |
1/2 teaspoon |
1 gram |
Water, cold |
1/4 cup + 1/2 tablespoon |
75 grams |
Unsalted butter (84% butterfat), softened |
4 tablespoons |
56 grams |
BUTTER BLOCK
All-purpose flour |
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon |
108 grams |
Unsalted butter (84% butterfat), softened |
8 tablespoons |
112 grams |
Granulated sugar |
2 cups |
410 grams |
Ground cinnamon |
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon |
10 grams |
MAKE DOUGH
1. Combine the bread flour, salt, vinegar, cold water, and butter in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low speed until just blended, about 2 1/2 minutes. The dough should look rough—there’s been no gluten development at this stage.1
2. Dust the work surface with extra bread flour. With your hands, shape the dough into a 4-inch (10 cm) square about 3/8 inch (1 cm) thick. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 45 minutes.
MAKE BUTTER BLOCK
1. Combine the all-purpose flour and butter in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle. Mix on low speed, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl, until there are no streaks of butter. The mixture should still feel like soft butter.
2. Draw a 7-inch (18 cm) square on a piece of parchment paper with a pencil. Flip the parchment over so that the butter won’t come in contact with the pencil marks. Place the butter in the center of the square and spread it evenly with an offset spatula to fill the square. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes, until firm but still pliable.
3. Remove the butter from the refrigerator. It should still be soft enough to bend slightly without cracking. If it is too firm, lightly beat the butter with a rolling pin on a lightly floured work surface until it becomes pliable. Make sure to press the butter back to its original 7-inch (18 cm) square after working it.
4. Arrange the chilled dough in the center of the butter block so it looks like a diamond in the center of the square (rotated 45 degrees, with the corners of the dough facing the center of the butter block sides).
5. Fold the corners of the butter block up and over to the center of the dough. The butter block should completely cover the dough. Pinch the seams of the butter block together to prevent the dough from peeking through.2
MAKE FIRST FOLD
1. Generously flour the work surface and rolling pin. You’ll need a rather large work surface for this task. With the rolling pin, using steady, even pressure, roll the butter-covered dough out from the center so it triples in length. When finished rolling, you should have a rectangle about 12 by 6 1/2 by 1/4 inch (30 cm by 16.5 cm by 6 mm).3
2. Place the dough so the longer sides run left to right. From the right side, fold one-third of the dough onto itself, keeping the edges lined up with each other. From the left side, fold one-third of the dough on top of the side that has already been folded. Line up all the edges so that you are left with an even rectangle. The dough is being folded as if it were a piece of paper going into an envelope; this is called a “letter fold.” Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes to rest.4
MAKE SECOND AND THIRD FOLDS
1. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. It should be firm but not hard. (If it is not pliable, let it sit briefly to soften.) Place on a lightly floured work surface. With a rolling pin, using steady, even pressure, roll the dough out from the center vertically from top to bottom. The dough should triple in length and increase in width 1 1/2 times; this will take several passes. When finished, you should again have a rectangle about 12 by 6 1/2 by 1/4 inch (30 cm by 16.5 cm by 6 mm).5
2. Rotate the dough so the longer sides run left to right. This time, from the right side fold one-quarter of the dough onto itself. From the left side fold one-quarter of the dough onto itself. The two ends should meet in the middle of the dough. Fold the dough in half where the ends meet. You will have 4 layers of dough on top of one another. This is called a “double book fold.” Wrap the dough again in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes to rest.
3. Repeat the second (double book) fold again. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
ROLL AND BAKE
1. Combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl using your hands. Reserve until needed. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. Remove the puff pastry from the refrigerator. Place it on a lightly floured work surface. With a rolling pin, using steady, even pressure, roll the dough out from the center. The dough should triple in length and increase in width 1 1/2 times. This will take several passes. When finished, you should again have a long rectangle about 12 by 6 1/2 by 1/4 inch (30 cm by 16.5 cm by 6 mm). Generously sprinkle the dough with 1/2 cup of cinnamon sugar in an even layer.6
3. Rotate the dough so the longer side runs left to right. Starting at the bottom, roll the dough tightly into a log about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter. Slice the dough into 8 equal segments, each about 1 3/4 inches (4.5 cm) thick and weighing 1 3/4 ounces (50 grams).
4. With the spiral facing up on each segment, flatten the dough segments lightly with the palm of your hand until each is a round about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter. Place on the sheet pan. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to rest.
5. While the dough is resting, place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) for conventional or 350°F (175°C) for convection. Invert a half sheet pan and place a sheet of parchment paper on the flat side.
6. Sprinkle more cinnamon sugar generously on the work surface. Place one of the puff pastry rounds on the cinnamon sugar. With a rolling pin, using steady, even pressure, roll from the center of the dough up and then down. As the dough sticks to the counter, sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar. Repeat until you have a long oval about 10 inches (25 cm) long and 4 inches (10 cm) wide. The dough should be thin enough to see through it. Gently place the arlette on the parchment paper–covered sheet pan. Repeat with more dough pieces, leaving 4 inches (10 cm) between arlettes on the parchment. (Two arlettes should fit on each half sheet pan. Keep the remaining dough in the refrigerator.)7
7. Lay a second piece of parchment paper on top of the arlettes. Lay a second half sheet pan on top of the parchment, sandwiching the arlettes between the two pans.
8. Bake the arlettes on the center rack for 9 minutes. Rotate the pans 180 degrees and bake 9 minutes more. Remove from the oven and take off the top pan and parchment paper. The arlettes should be a deep golden brown. Let the arlettes, still on the parchment paper, cool completely.
9. Let the pans cool, then shape and bake the remaining arlettes in the same fashion.
1. Bread flour has more gluten than all-purpose flour. It’s ideal for laminated doughs and bread-like doughs that will need to be shaped.
2. Whenever folding butter, it is important to work swiftly to ensure it doesn’t melt.
There are two different types of puff pastry. When the butter is on the inside, it is regular puff pastry. When it is on the outside (as in the case here), it is inverse puff pastry, which can result in a flakier, more caramelized pastry.
3. Keeping the shape of the dough is very important at this point to ensure even layers.
4. Resting the dough relaxes the gluten and keeps the butter chilled.
5. When rolling out the dough, it’s always best to have the open seams on the top to ensure the layers remain even and don’t slide when you are rolling.
6. Sugar draws out moisture from dough, so once it is added, it is important to work swiftly.
7. Relaxing the dough is a very important part of this process, Make sure to lift the dough off the surface every few passes with the rolling pin, allowing it to contract slightly. This slight relaxation will help with the shape of the final product.
SERVING INSTRUCTIONS Serve at room temperature.
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS Arlettes should be consumed the day they are baked. Puff pastry dough can be kept in the freezer, wrapped well, for up to 1 week.