Name: Puff Pastry
Yield: Makes about 2 pounds dough
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 8 tablespoons (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces; 1 pound cold unsalted butter; 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons (4 ounces) cake flour; 1 tablespoon kosher salt; 1 tablespoon sugar; 2¾ cups (12 ounces) all-purpose flour; 1 cup water; Flour for dusting; ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons (2 ounces) all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Preparation info

Makes about
2 pounds
dough

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The French Laundry Cookbook

By Thomas Keller

Published 1999

About

It’s important to adhere to the allotted resting time when making puff pastry. As you work, the dough will become more elastic as the gluten develops and the butter warms. Resting the dough in the refrigerator between rolling the “turns” allows the gluten to relax and the butter to firm. The more you make, the better—it freezes well and you can use it for many other dishes.