Homemade Puff Pastry Recipe Tutorial

Homemade Puff pastry takes only about 15 minutes to make with great results. This step by step tutorial and video demonstration make it easy to do. You’ve got this!

Homemade Puff pastry has so much better flavor than the frozen packaged products you find in stores. Promise.

Puff Pastry Appetizers:

Commercial Puff Pastry is expensive and flavorless in my opinion. Yes it’s easier to buy rather than make. BUT.

The appetizer recipes pictured below both can use this puff pastry recipe rather than store bought pictured here. The results will be a LOT better in flavor and texture if you don’t mind the extra fuss.

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2 x 2 inch squares of puff pastry dough will be plenty for each brie bite or spinach cup.

Puff Pastry:

Just like making your own pie crusts or sourdough bread you gain so much in the process of making your own pastry. Try our Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers. They are light and flavorful.

There is a science to making puff pastry (as with most baked goods). AND… of course, there are many methods. All steeped in European history….from Venice to France with several stops along the way.

To make puff pastry the more advanced technique (with possibly better results?) you need to roll the butter in sheets and layer the dough with it….

We chose this simple method from Dessert For Two. It’s a nice beginner recipe for puff pastry often termed rough puff pastry.

Our method is much more manageable then rolling sheets of butter in with layers of dough and offers great results. Let’s Get started.

You can have this recipe completed and chilling in the fridge in about 15 minutes. About the same amount of time as making a butter pie crust with a different method of handling the dough.

Make your own puff pastry recipe and reap the rewards in many light flaky and puffed baked goods. I made a homemade apple filling and created these apple turnovers with my first batch of puff pastry. Yum!

The flavor is amazing and the turnovers are light and flaky. Next time I won’t roll the dough so thin or crimp the edges so tightly.

The butter pockets were somewhat squished and the dough didn’t puff as much as it could have. I’m still delighted with the results.

BEWARE. puff pastry must be handled differently than a butter pie crust.

I rolled my pastry too thin and handled it more than I should the first time. The results were still wonderful but…

For the best flaky puff pastry keep the butter distinct from the flour and VERY cold. You need those steam pockets.

Ingredients:

The flavor of this puff pastry dough recipe is buttery. Perfect for puff pastry desserts. The ingredient list for this recipe is flour, butter and water. The recipe begins exactly the same as a butter pie crust.

HOWEVER, Puff pastry is NOT made like a butter pie crust. If you handle the dough like a pie crust your puff will not happen.

Tips:

The butter cannot be allowed to melt into the flour. This is because when baked the butter melts and creates steam.

The butter needs to stay cold ALL through the process not just for easier handling but also to CREATE THE PUFF.

The steam is puffing the dough. When the butter melts into the flour the layers cannot separate and puff.

• Keep everything cold. This includes the water, butter and even the flour to start.
• Use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter. I use my food processor to make my sourdough butter crust. It works like a dream for that. But the butter will mix in and not puff the pastry as well.
• If using a metal rolling pin freeze it at least 15 to 30 minutes before rolling this dough. And keep covered in flour as you work the dough.
• For wood rolling pins sprinkle constantly with flour to reduce sticking.
• Work the dough quickly. If you have to step away while working the dough, set the dough in the fridge until you return.
• Use your rolling pin lightly. Do NOT allow the butter to fully incorporate into the dough. You want the butter distinct in the rolled dough to gain maximum puffiness. If the butter melts there are no pockets to create steam and puff.
• After final fold wrap and chill at least an hour before baking. This allows the dough gluten to develop for a more resilient better quality dough.

Useful Tools:

How to make Puff Pastry:

This is a simple process. Here is your visual guide. Please also watch my video recipe demonstration to see how to actually handle the dough.

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Make Puff Pastry Ahead:

You can easily make this recipe the day before it’s needed. Just finish the pastry and store it wrapped in the fridge until needed.

Freezing Instructions:

You can freeze this recipe if after it is made you wrap it in plastic wrap and then seal it in a freezer bag. Remove the air, Label the bag and freeze up to a month.

TO DEFROST:

• QUICK METHOD: Remove the puff pastry from the freezer and let sit at room temperature in the plastic wrap about 30 minutes. Do not let it warm to room temperature. Keep it cold but workable.
• LONGER DEFROST: You can also defrost by simply putting the frozen puff pastry in the fridge a day (or several hours) ahead of use. Fridge temps are the best for working this dough.
• Roll and use as needed.

Your Printable Recipe Card: