Puff Pastry

Makes 2½ to 3 pounds

Puff pastry is one of the most difficult doughs to make; even for professionals, it has its pitfalls. It is always made with flour and butter in close to equal proportions, and the object is to keep the layers of butter enclosed between the dough layers, so as to achieve the proper flaky texture. The butter and the dough must be at the same temperature to roll uniformly. Soft butter will “squish” and run between the layers, destroying them; if the dough is too soft, it will do the same. The flour used to roll out the dough must be dusted off the surface of the dough before folding it, or the dough may become tough and dry. It is important to work quickly, but if the dough gets elastic, do not fight it; let it rest refrigerated for 30 minutes or so before continuing. (See Video: Making and Working with Puff Pastry.)

• 1 pound (about 3 cups) cold all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1‑1¼ cups ice-cold water
• 1 pound very cold unsalted butter

Put the flour, salt, and 1 cup ice water in a food processor and process for about 10 seconds. If the dough is not holding together in a smooth paste, add up to ¼ cup more water and process again for a few seconds, just until it gathers together.

Cut each stick of butter lengthwise into 3 slices. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle about 20 by 9 inches. Turn the dough so a short end faces you. Starting at the top of the dough, arrange the butter slices touching each other in a single layer so they cover about two thirds of the dough, keeping the slices about 1 inch from the edges all around. Bring the lower third of the dough (not covered with butter) over half of the buttered dough. Fold the remaining third of buttered dough down over the top, creating a “sandwich” with 5 alternating layers of dough and butter. Press all along the sides to secure the butter inside.

Flour the work surface and gently roll the dough out, adding flour as needed, into a rectangle about 20 by 10 inches. Brush a little extra flour on the dough and bring each short end of the rectangle over so they join in the center. Press gently to seal, then fold the dough in half again, creating a 4-layer package; this is known as a double turn. Let rest, refrigerated, for 20 minutes or so.

Roll the dough again into a 20-by-10-inch rectangle and give it another double turn. Give the dough 2 more double turns (for a total of 4 double turns), letting it rest in the refrigerator between rolling if it gets too elastic.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate. After it has rested for 1 hour, it is ready to be used.

The dough can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days or in the freezer for a couple of months. (If kept in the refrigerator too long, it has a tendency to become rubbery and difficult to roll out.) If you freeze it, be sure to defrost it under refrigeration before using. (If using only a piece of the dough, cut off the piece you need crosswise.)