You can easily make this homemade quick puff pastry recipe in 15 minutes! You don’t need to wait between the turns.
If I have to number the desserts I love, mille-feuille is in my top 5 list. Puff pastry with its crisp texture and pastry cream with its soft texture make a nice combination.
As I always want to make everything from scratch, I love this recipe. It takes only 15 minutes to make. You don’t need to wait 30 minutes between each turn as you would if you were making a classic puff pastry recipe.
Besides that, the method is very easy, very different than the traditional one. You don’t need to roll out the block butter. This recipe is a saver for me!
Ingredients
- Flour
- Butter-cold
- Salt
- Ice Cold Water
The key to success in this recipe is working fast. If you work in a cold environment, you don’t need to take the dough into the fridge/freezer to keep the butter cold during your steps. However, in my first attempt, the weather was hot and the butter got warm quickly but I found a solution to keep the butter cold while making this quick puff pastry(below I share how).
How does the cold Butter help to make a flaky pastry?
Commercial butter has almost 15% water. When you put the dough into the preheated oven, the water in the cold butter starts to evaporate and creates the flaky layers. So it is essential to keep the butter cold while rolling and folding the dough.
How to store puff pastry dough
You can keep the tightly covered dough in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to a month.
Before you use it, you should thaw the dough overnight in the fridge and then keep at room temperature for few minutes until it is in a rollable consistency. The dough should be still cold, not warm. If you forget to thaw overnight in the fridge, you can keep at room temperature until it is rollable.
Let’s go through the stages, so I can share my way of working.
How to use puff pastry
You can use puff pastry both in sweet and savory recipes such as
- Mille Feuille
- Palmiers
- Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers
- Easy Breakfast Pastries
- Veggie Quiche
- Sun-dried tomato and olive pinwheels
How to make quick puff pastry
Note: First I published this post on Jan 17. Today I am republishing it with new information. When I bought a pastry cutter, it made the cutting the butter into flour process too fast, I didn’t have to put the bowl into the freezer before the process. So if you have a pastry cutter, I advise you to use it instead of using a pastry scraper or a fork.
First, I mix the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and add the chilled butter. Then I cover the bowl with a plastic film and keep it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. I make sure that I use a bowl that can be put in the freezer. (If you are working in a cold environment, you can skip this step and start to cut the butter into the flour.)
Later, I take the bowl from the freezer and I use my pastry scraper to cut the butter into the flour. If you have a pastry cutter, definitely use it. I try to cut the butter in small pieces but there are some pieces in the size of peas which are fine.
The cold mixing bowl helps the butter not to warm quickly and helps the work surface to be cold, which helps me a lot when I roll out the dough. 😉 
I create a well in the center of the flour and pour in the ice-cold water. Then I take the flour mixture from the sides and start to mix with my pastry scraper. I don’t use my hands as my hands can warm the butter easily. So I keep working with my pastry scraper(if you have a pastry cutter definitely use it). I only use my hands at the end to bring the dough together which takes a little bit of time.
I am not trying to make a perfect ball not to warm the butter with my hands. You will see butter pieces in the ball which are normal.
Then I put the dough onto a work surface which is cold because of the mixing bowl. I flour my work surface and rolling pin so the dough doesn’t stick to either.
Later, I roll out the dough into a 10- inch (25 cm) long rectangle. I add more flour as needed. Before folding, I brush off the excess flour with a pastry brush. I fold the dough in three. I fold the bottom one-third of the dough towards the center and the top third over that. While I am folding, I brush off the excess flour as needed.
It is like folding a letter that needs to fit into an envelope.
After that, I give the dough a quarter turn. Then I make the same steps at least 3 more times; rolling out the dough and folding, giving the dough a quarter turn… Each time the rectangles get neater. After my dough is ready, I wrap it in plastic film and keep in the fridge at least 1 hour or in the freezer 20-30 minutes before I use it.
You can make delicious recipes with this simple puff pastry dough.
Enjoy!
Quick Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 125 g (¾ cup and 2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour (dip and sweep)*
- 140 g (½ cup and 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 60 g (¼ cup) water, ice cold
Instructions
- Mix the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and add the chilled butter and use a pastry cutter or pastry scraper to cut the butter into the flour. (If you don't work in a cold environment, put the flour, salt and chilled butter in a freezer safe mixing bowl and keep in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before starting which will help the butter not to warm quickly when working. This step will also help to keep the work surface cold when you roll out the dough)
- Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the ice cold water. Take the flour mixture from the sides and start to mix with pastry scraper. Don't use your hands as they can warm the butter easily. Use your hands quickly at the end to bring the dough together and shape it into a ball.
- Put the dough onto the work surface. Flour the work surface and the rolling pin so the dough doesn’t stick to either. Roll out the dough into a 10 inch(25 cm)long rectangle. Add more flour as needed. Brush off the excess flour with a pastry brush. Fold the bottom one-third of the dough towards the center, and the top third over that. While folding, brush off the excess flour as needed.
- Give the dough a quarter turn, and make the same steps at least 3 more times up to 6 times.
- Wrap the dough in plastic film and refrigerate at least for 1 hour or freeze 20-30 minutes before using.
Notes
