PASTRY - PUFF PASTRY

A CLASSIC PUFF PASTRY CAN BE USED TO MAKE A VARIETY OF SHAPES TO MAKE PERFECT CONTAINERS FOR FILLING. YOU CAN MAKE THEM SAVOURY AND USE CHICKEN / FISH / HAM / EGGS / PRAWNS / VEGETABLES OR CHEESE....THE FILLINGS CAN BE LIMITLESS. PUFF PASTRY IS AVAILABLE IN MANY PLACES COMMERCIALLY BUT IF YOU ARE NOT LUCKY AND IT IS NOT AVAILABLE WHERE YOU LIVE.....THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE IS TO MAKE IT YOURSELF. THE FIRST FEW TIMES IT WILL SEEM LIKE TEDIOUS WORK BUT THE TRICK IS TO PREPARE IT A DAY IN ADVANCE AND DO IT IN BETWEEN YOUR KITCHEN WORK. THEN WHEN YOU WANT TO WORK WITH IT ......IT BECOMES QUICK WORK. YOU CAN CUT THEM INTO ROUNDS .....VOL-AU-VENTS.....SQUARES......OR ROLL THEM OUT AND FOLD OVER INTO TRIANGLES.....OR ROLL OUT AND CUT ROUNDS MAKING ONE ROUND AS BASE AND COVERING IT WITH ANOTHER. THE VOL-AU-VENTS AND SQUARES NEED TO BE THICKER AS THE RISEN LAYERS WILL FORM THE SIDES AND YOU NEED TO SCOOP OUT THE SOFT MIDDLES AND FILL. PATTY TRIANGLES AND ROUNDS NEED TO BE MUCH THINNER SO THAT YOU CAN TASTE THE FILLING.

THE PROPORTION OF FAT TO FLOUR IS 100% IN PUFF PASTRY. ALL PASTRY WHETHER FLAKY, ROUGH PUFF , SHORTCRUST OR PIE TOPS IS A DIFFERENT PERCENTAGE OF FAT TO FLOUR. THE HIGHER THE PERCENTAGE OF FAT....THE LIGHTER THE PASTRY....WHY DOES EVERYTHING GOOD COME AT A PRICE !!!

250 gms plain flour

250 gms butter

pinch of salt / a little squeeze of lemon juice

approximately 10/11 tablespoons of cold water (160 ml)

a beaten egg for glazing (only yolk gives a deeper golden colour)

Sift the flour with the salt into a large bowl and rub in a knob of butter lightly with your fingertips. Pour in the lemon juice and the cold water and form a soft elastic dough.

Roll out the dough into a square. Shape the balance butter and place on one half of the rolled dough. Fold the other side over and seal the edges by pressing them together with a rolling pin.

Rotate the dough till the seam is on the side and roll it out again .......this time to resemble a rectangle. Fold the bottom third up and the top third down and seal the edges once again with a rolling pin. Wrap the dough in greaseproof paper and rest for a full 20 minutes in the refrigerator. THIS PROCESS OF ROLLING, FOLDING AND RESTING IS TO BE DONE FOR ANOTHER 5 TIMES. It is now ready to use. It can be stored in the refrigerator to be used later.

When rolling out the puff pastry use as little flour as possible and shape as required. Don't forget to glaze with beaten egg. The temperature required for puff pastry is 230 Deg C, 450 Deg F or Gas Mark 8.