Claude Gelee invented puff pastry in 1645 while trying to make a rolled butter cake for his ill father. Today, it is made by laminating fat (usually butter) and pastry dough into very thin layers. When baked, the steam is trapped between the dough layers, causing the dough to puff up into thin crispy layers. You can make your own puff pastry at home, but it is time-consuming as the dough needs to chill in the fridge between stages of rolling. Store-bought versions are convenient; and, unless you are an experienced pastry chef, they usually have superior lamination than can be achieved at home.
