Rough Puff Pastry

• servings: Makes 1 ready-to-use blo

Ingredients

I½/ sticks (6 oz/170g) cold unsalted butter, unsliced

1½ cups (195g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1½ tablespoons (19g) granulated sugar

½ teaspoon (3g) kosher salt

¼ cup (558) cold water, plus more if needed

¼ teaspoon (2g) cold distilled white vinegar

Directions

Cut 6 tablespoons of the butter into cubes and place on a cold plate. Grate the remaining 6-tablespoon block of butter onto a separate cold plate. Transfer both to the freezer to chill for 1o to 20 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt and mix well. Place the flour bowl in the fridge to chill for 1o to 20 minutes. Before removing the butter, add the cold water and a few ice cubes to a small bowl.

Once everything is nice and cold, remove the ingredients from the fridge and freezer. To the flour bowl, add the grated butter. Using your hands or a wooden spoon, quickly toss to cover the butter with flour. Add the cubed butter and quickly toss to incorporate the butter. Smush each butter cube between your thumb and forefinger, but do not hold long enough to let the butter melt. Measure out ¼ cup of the ice water and mix in the vinegar. Add to the flour mixture and give it a quick mix.

Transfer the dough to a work surface. Using your hands, bring the dough together and press to combine well. Some of the dough may not come together at this point-remove the properly hydrated dough and drizzle a small amount of water (I to 3 teaspoons) the dry parts. Continue to press to combine and then bring all the dough back together once ready. It should still look a little bit dry but not too crumbly. Transfer the dough to a piece of

plastic wrap and press the dough into a 4 x s-inch rectangle and cover with plastic wrap. Once in the plastic wrap, you can continue to press the edges of the dough together using your hands and a bench scraper. Place in the fridge and let rest for z hours. Remove the dough from the fridge and let rest for 2 to 3 minutes at room temperature. Unwrap the dough and place on a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, hit the dough several times evenly over the top of the dough. Some parts of the dough will crack at this point; use your hands and a bench scraper to bring the dough back together. Roll the dough into a 6 x I0-inch rectangle, continuing to press the dough back together at the cracks. It will be a little dry and a little hard to roll at this point-use a bench scraper to help you gather and straighten the edges as you roll. With a short side of the rectangle facing you, fold the top and bottom thirds of the dough to the middle. It will still be a little dry and not a perfect shape, but just do your best. Cover with plastic wrap, place in the fridge, and let rest for 30 to 40 minutes.

Remove the dough from the fridge, unwrap, and once again hit the dough across the top with a rolling pin, pressing the dough back together with your hands at the cracks. Roll the dough into a 6 x 12-inch rectangle, again using the bench scraper as necessary to straighten the edges and press together the cracks. Repeat the folding process. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate again for 30 to 40 minutes. Repeat this rolling, folding, and cooling process two more times. On the third fold, the dough should begin to look much more smooth and more similar to store-

bought puff pastry dough, though you should still be able to see spots of butter. After completing the final fold, cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight.

This is your basic puff pastry, ready to use like store- bought for any recipe. Keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If frozen, place in the fridge overnight before use.

Food Processor Rough Puff You can also make a delicious puff pastry using a food processor, which 1 sometimes prefer in the summer when my home is very warm. Though it'll be much easier, the food processor will cut the butter smaller and affect the texture slightly. Cut all the butter into large cubes, place on a plate, and chill in the freezer for i hour. In a medium bowl,

combine the flour, sugar, and salt and chill in the fridge. About 1o to 15 minutes before making the

dough, add the cold water and a few ice cubes to a small bowl. Once everything is nice and cold, add the flour mixture and half of the cubed butter to a

food processor. Pulse for 1 second at a time, 8 to 10 times. Add ¼ cup of the cold water, cold vinegar, and remaining butter and again pulse for 1 second at a time, 8 to 15 times. Transfer the dough to a piece of plastic wrap, smushing any too-large pieces of butter between your thumb and forefinger. Follow the process for bringing the dough together, rolling folding, and cooling as directed in the main recipe.