Homemade Puff Pastry Recipe
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- 12 comments
My Homemade Puff Pastry recipe creates delicious flaky layers of butter and dough using flour, cold butter, salt, and water. You will be blown away at how easy this is to make with my step by step instructions.
Making anything from scratch usually takes a little more time, especially when it comes to baking. But guess what, that is exactly how you master every recipe. Trust me, I have been doing this for years, using this puff pastry recipe for my beef Wellington and my delicious peach tart.
Puff Pastry
Puff pastry is a rich and delicate dough known in French as Pâte Feuilletée. It is made by placing flattened butter between layers of dough that are rolled out, folded into thirds, and chilled. This process is repeated three to eight times, building a pastry with hundreds of buttery layers that bake into a light and flaky texture.
There are four classic types of puff pastry: half, three-quarter, full, and inverted. The difference comes from the ratio of fat to flour. As the pastry bakes, the moisture in the butter turns to steam, which causes the dough to rise and separate into flaky layers.
I mastered this puff pastry recipe years ago while working as a chef in a restaurant. The recipe I am sharing today is foolproof, trust me. If you follow it step by step, you will nail it. Whether you use it for tarts, croissants, or any other bake, the results will turn out perfectly flaky.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Flour – I used all-purpose flour in this recipe.
- Water – You will need some cool or room-temperature water.
- Butter – Always use unsalted butter in cooking and baking to control the salt content.
- Salt – I use sea salt in all my cooking and baking.
How to Make Puff Pastry from Scratch
Mix the flour and butter: First thing I do is add the 3 1/3 cups of flour with the ½ stick of butter into my stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment.
Whip the mixture: I set the mixer on low speed and let it run for about 5 minutes. By the end, the butter is completely cut into the flour and the mixture looks even.
Prepare the salted water: Next, I add the salt to the water and whisk until it fully dissolves.
Add the water: I slowly pour the salted water into the flour and butter mixture while the mixer is on low speed. I let it go only until everything is just combined.
Chill: I transfer the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper and place it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. This step makes it much easier to work with since the dough is very sticky right out of the mixing bowl.
Prepare butter block : I add the remaining butter and flour to my stand mixer bowl.
Whip: Using the paddle attachment, I mix on low speed for about 5 minutes until the butter and flour are smooth. I make sure not to overmix because the butter needs to stay cool so it will be easy to roll out later.
Roll out the dough: I place the chilled dough onto a floured surface and lightly dust the top with flour to keep it from sticking as I roll.
Shape: I roll the dough out into a long rectangle, about 12 inches by 24 inches, keeping the surface lightly floured so it does not stick.
Prepare the butter layer: On another clean surface lightly dusted with flour, I place the whipped butter and sprinkle a little flour on top to keep it from sticking.
Roll the butter: I roll out the butter until it is about two thirds the size of the dough, making sure it stays even and easy to fold in.
Position: I place the rolled butter on the left side of the dough, leaving space on the right to fold it over.
Fold the dough: I take the right side of the dough and fold it over the butter on the left side, covering it completely.
Enclose the butter: I fold the left side of the dough over to the right, sealing the butter inside completely.
Turn the dough: I rotate the folded dough 90 degrees so it is ready to be rolled out again.
Roll again: I roll the dough back out to its original size of 12 inches by 24 inches, keeping the surface lightly floured so it stays smooth.
Fold to the center: I bring the right and left sides of the dough toward the middle until they meet in the center.
Complete the fold: I fold the dough in half by bringing the left side over the right, then wrap it up in parchment paper and chill it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Repeat the folds: I keep repeating this process at least one more time and up to seven more times. Each time, I fold the left and right sides to the center, then fold the dough in half again. I always chill the dough for 20 minutes between folds so it stays easy to work with and bakes up flaky.
Store or use: I either use the puff pastry dough right away for baking or wrap it up tightly and store it in the refrigerator until I am ready.
Chef Tip + Notes
The key for making my Homemade Puff Pastry recipe is to keep everything cold from start to finish. I always keep the butter and water in the fridge until the very moment I need them, and I even slip the dough back into the refrigerator if I notice it is getting too soft while I roll it out. The layers bake up light, flaky, and golden, just like it should be!
- Use bread flour: You can make this recipe with bread flour, but I always add a little more water, about three to five percent more, so the dough stays workable.
- Know the difference: Puff pastry is not the same as phyllo dough. Puff pastry bakes into flaky layers of butter and dough, while phyllo is rolled very thin and layered with oil or butter.
- Try a substitute: If you do not want to make puff pastry, you can use shortcrust dough instead. It will not puff in the same way, but it makes a delicious and sturdy base for tarts and pies.
- Flour the surface lightly: I dust the counter and the top of the dough with just enough flour to keep it from sticking, but not too much so the layers stay tender.
- Do not overmix the butter block: I mix just until smooth. If the butter gets too warm, it becomes hard to roll and will not give those nice layers.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make this puff pastry dough up to 2 days ahead of time.
How to Store: Wrap it in parchment paper and plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days. This will freeze well-wrapped in parchment paper and plastic wrap for up to 6 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator until soft and pliable.
More Dough Recipes
Homemade Puff Pastry Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 1/3 cup all-purpose flour + ½ cup
- ½ stick softened unsalted butter + 4 sticks of cold unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 2/3 cup cold water
Instructions
- Combine the 3 1/3 cups of flour with the ½ stick of butter in a standing mixer bowl with the paddle attachment. Whip on low speed for 5 minutes until combined. The butter should be cut completely into the flour.
- Next, add the salt into the water and dissolve by whisking together and slowly pour the salted water into the flour-butter mixture just until mixed on low speed.
- Transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment paper and place it into the refrigerator for 20 minutes to be easy to work with. The dough will be very sticky coming straight out of the mixing bowl.
- Add the remaining 4 sticks of butter and ½ cup of flour to a standing mixer bowl.
- With the paddle attachment, whip the mixture on low speed for 5 minutes or until smooth. Do not over mix as you do not want the butter to get too hot or else it will be difficult to roll out.
- Place the chilled dough onto a floured surface and dust the top of the dough with flour. Roll it out until it is a long rectangle, about 12” x 24”
- On another part of your clean surface dusted with flour, add the whipped butter and dust the top with flour. Roll out the butter to 2/3 the size of the dough.
- Place the butter on the left side of the dough. Fold right to left placing the dough over the butter. Then left over right, covering everything.
- Turn the folded dough 90°. Roll it out to the original size of 12” by 24”.
- Fold the right and left to the center so that they are touching. Next, fold left over right and chill for 20 minutes, wrapped in parchment paper.
- Repeat the process at least one more time and up to 7 more times by folding the left and right sides to the center and then folding again in half. You can repeat this process twice before it needs to be chilled for 20 minutes.
- Store or use the puff pastry dough.
Hi, Chef, what would you recommend type of puff pastry for deep frying. Since we dont have oven, also which is best type since its for fry and the fillings is ube cream.
Thanks Chef!
this one
Is there a video to this recipe?
No video, but I’ve got step-by-step photos to guide you through.
It took 2 tries. First time, I discovered that 11/2C water is too much for mine. So, I cut the water back. There wasn’t enough butter in the first step, I added another Tablespoon.
In the end, this pastry turned out nicely.
making it again! Trying a foid processor to cut the butter. We. Shall see if it works! Thanks Chef!!!!
Hi Chef, for the pastry dough, how much is 1 stick of butter in weight? May I know whether there is any video on this pastry dough making, please? Your advice is appreciated. Thank you.
113g
I can’t find the comment I left before so I’ll leave another. I made croissants with this recipe and they were awesome. Next time I think I’ll try adding some chocolate just to see if I can do it. I’m working hard to improve my baking and pastry skills as well as learning proper techniques. Thank you,Chef Billy!.
And although this was rather a challenging recipe to make, I still gave it five stars, because the texture and flavor were outstanding. Now that I have made it once, I am hoping the second time will be a little easier. For sure, don’t rush this recipe. Take your time, and add patience.
I made croissants with this recipe and they turned out super delicious. Next time I want to try adding chocolate but not sure how to do that yet. Working hard to improve my baking skills. Great recipe!
Thank you, Chef Billy!
Nice!