This site uses only a few technical cookies necessary for its operation. By continuing to browse, you accept their use.
To find out more...
To find out more...
Puff or flaky pastry (pâte feuilletée)
Puff pastry is an incredible assembly of thin layers of butter enclosed in thin layers of dough. After cooking this give a succession of thin crisp pastry leaves that produce exceptional desserts or pies. It's a jewel of French patisserie.
Making your own puff pastry is not very difficult, it's just a little work with a good recipe (like this one!). This recipe is for quick puff pastry ("feuilletage rapide") perfect for beginners.
Making your own puff pastry is not very difficult, it's just a little work with a good recipe (like this one!). This recipe is for quick puff pastry ("feuilletage rapide") perfect for beginners.
2 hours 45 min.
Average
3.35 €
1 kg 100 g
6 IngredientsLast modified on: January 19th 2011
For 1 kg 100 g, you will need:
- 1
500 g flour - 2
200 g butter - 3
200 ml water - 4
1 teaspoon white (spirit) vinegar (optional) - 5
1 teaspoon fine (or table) salt - 6 200 g butter
- Total weight: 1,110 grams
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 45 min.
Resting: 2 hours
All in all: 2 hours 45 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - ⌛ 5 min.
Mix 200 ml water and 1 teaspoon fine (or table) salt, if possible add 1 teaspoon white (spirit) vinegar to prevent dough from turning grey.
Stage 2 - ⌛ 5 min.
Stage 3 - ⌛ 1 hour
Stop as soon as dough is smooth, this dough is called a "détrempe" (soaked or softened).
Form it into slab, cover with plastic film, and put in the fridge for one hour.
Form it into slab, cover with plastic film, and put in the fridge for one hour.
Stage 4 - ⌛ 5 min.
After this time, remove dough, unwrap it, then roll it out on your work surface into a large rectangle.
Stage 5 - ⌛ 1 min.
Measure length of rectangle, and make a small mark with your finger at the 2/3 point.
Stage 6 - ⌛ 5 min.
Put 200 g butter between two sheets of plastic film, and hit it with your rolling pin...
Stage 7
...until you get a butter "sheet" which is a little narrower than the dough and 2/3 the length.
Stage 8 - ⌛ 5 min.
Lay the butter sheet on the dough, starting at the small mark you made before.
You should now have butter on 2/3 of the dough, 1/3 empty.
You should now have butter on 2/3 of the dough, 1/3 empty.
Stage 9
Fold up this 1/3 on top of the butter.
Stage 10 - ⌛ 5 min.
Then fold over again onto the final 1/3.
You have done "one simple turn", which means that you now have 2 butter layers inside 3 dough layers.
You have done "one simple turn", which means that you now have 2 butter layers inside 3 dough layers.
Stage 11 - ⌛ 1 min.
Turn the pastry a quarter turn.
Stage 12 - ⌛ 5 min.
Roll out into a long regular strip.
Stage 13 - ⌛ 1 min.
Remove any excess of flour with a Short-handled brush or a pastry brush (we do this because too much flour can hinder the layering of the pastry).
Stage 14 - ⌛ 2 min.
Fold strip in from both ends to meet in the centre.
Stage 15 - ⌛ 5 min.
Then fold this in half.
You have done "one double turn" or "wallet turn".
You have done "one double turn" or "wallet turn".
Stage 16 - ⌛ 1 hour
Cover pastry with plastic film and leave to rest in the fridge for one hour.
This sequence of "double turn" + 1 hour rest, needs to be done twice more to get: 1 simple turn and 3 double turns.
This sequence of "double turn" + 1 hour rest, needs to be done twice more to get: 1 simple turn and 3 double turns.
Stage 17
Your puff pastry is now ready to use. Cut into three pieces (of about 300g) and wrap each in plastic film until use, or freeze (see below).
Remarks
Puff pastry should not be kept in the fridge for too long (in spite of the vinegar), 2 or 3 days maximum. But it can easily be frozen, in which case don't do the final double turn and freeze at this stage. When needed, remove from freezer, leave to thaw in the fridge overnight, and do the final double turn just before use.
You wonder how-many layers there are? Here is the solution: after the first turn there are 2 butter layers between 3 dough layers, and each double turn multiplies by four. So after the first one we get 12 layers, 48 at the second, and 192 at the third.
How does it work? In the heat of the oven, the layers of pastry cook and turn brown and crisp, at the same time the butter melts (helping pastry to brown) and the water inside turns to steam. This steam in trapped in the pastry, so the entire pastry inflates to become puff pastry.
You wonder how-many layers there are? Here is the solution: after the first turn there are 2 butter layers between 3 dough layers, and each double turn multiplies by four. So after the first one we get 12 layers, 48 at the second, and 192 at the third.
How does it work? In the heat of the oven, the layers of pastry cook and turn brown and crisp, at the same time the butter melts (helping pastry to brown) and the water inside turns to steam. This steam in trapped in the pastry, so the entire pastry inflates to become puff pastry.
Keeping: 1 or 2 days in the fridge, folded in a plastic film.
Source: After Gaston Lenôtre.
Nutritional information
How much will it cost?
- For 1 kg 100 g : 3.35 €
Change currency:
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
Some other recipes using this recipeSee them all 73
Icelandic-style fish and vegetable pie
This recipe is made from vegetables cut small and blanched, mixed with pieces of salt-cod and cream, then baked in small soup dishes with a puff pastry lid.
297 K3.9 4 hours 35 min.
Mushroom tart
Puff pastry, cream and mushroom "duxelle" are the perfect combination to create an elegant savoury tart with a crisp, flaky base.
46 K 55 min.
Courgette tart with mint
Fried rounds of courgette in a puff pastry case with a feta and mint filling. You will find that this combination of feta with mint gives an agreeable fresh lift to this tart.
182 K4.1 1 hour 25 min.
Pecan fruit rolls
These pecan nut and dried fruit rolls, wrapped in golden caramelized puff pastry, are really delicious.
125 K4.9 1 hour 25 min.
Chicken and mushroom pie
This lovely pie has a puff pastry crust filled with a mixture of fried mushrooms, diced chicken and parsley, all bound in a cream sauce.
115 K 14.4 1 hour 40 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Flour
Like these other recipes: Celeriac and sesame soup, Breton sablé biscuit dough, Grapefruit cake, Cantucci, Coconut tuiles, ... See them all 214
Butter
Like these other recipes: Purée of Jerusalem artichokes with foie gras, Pogne de Romans, Sicilian Epiphany Pie, Pan-fried salmon with white cabbage, Chocolate muffins, ... See them all 497
Water
Like these other recipes: Lemon and lime custard tart, Fougasse with bacon and Comté, Quick orange marmalade, Vegetable stock, Italian hot chocolate , ... See them all 141
Fine (or table) salt
Like these other recipes: Soft apple cookies, Clementine cake, Kugelhof for Nanou, Apple madeleine cake, Mixed tomato salad, ... See them all 105
Other recipes you may also like
Gingerbread
Maybe this recipe will bring back memories. February 21th 2011302 K4.2 1 hour 4 min.
Pear tart with almond cream
This is a very quick and easy tart to make, as everything (or almost) can be done in advance. A piece of sweetcrust pastry, some almond cream and pears? You have "everything you need". March 17th 2011383 K4.3 1 hour 15 min.
4 pears salad with vanilla
It's a very easy recipe, everything depends on the choice of differents kinds of pears all fully ripe, to give a delicious contrast in the mouth. February 21th 2011246 K4.2 40 min.
Brioche dough
It's a soft and rich dough, with butter and eggs which give a smooth and incredibly tasty brioche. This is the basic recipe for brioche dough, used for all other brioche-based recipes on the site. September 16th 2020553 K 44.2 14 hours 30 min.
Small cheese and bacon rolls
These small aperitif snacks can be prepared in advance and heated at the last minute, or served cold. September 7th 2018377 K5 1 hour 25 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2026-04-19)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Follow this recipe (as 7 people already do)
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.
The 6 comments already posted on this recipe
Thank you.