Flaky and Puff Pastry

Pastry that rises in flakes or layers is made in a special way. The method of preparation and high proportion of fat to flour mean these have a crisp, golden, flaky texture that is quite unlike any other pastry. To achieve this the flour is made into a dough with the water, and the fat is incorporated at a second stage in either small lumps or in a single layer. The subsequent rolling and folding builds up layers of dough and fat.

A common mistake is to roll the pastry dough too thinly during the preparation. The size to roll the dough each time (for folding and turning) is not difficult to judge if you remember that the length is determined by the width – the dough piece should be about three times as long as it is wide. This way you can fold the pastry in three and end up with a neat square to start off with again. Start each rolling by giving the pastry a half-turn clockwise so the open ends are facing towards and away from you, then pastry will roll out easily.