Well,
the real question is, why would you? If you're concerned with cholesterol,
realize that margarine is loaded with trans fats. If you're concerned
about the cost of whole butter compared to stick margarine, realize
that while margarine tries to mimic butter, margarine does not have
the same aroma as butter, and is very far off from the taste of whole
butter. Splurging calories and pennies for this treat is very much worth
it. Puff pastry is a wonderful addition to add to your "freezer
pantry" to use for desserts, appetizers and main dishes. Watching
the finished product rise to its magical height because of the time
you took to fold, roll out and refold the pastry dough is satisfying
to say the least. And the best part of making this with the best ingredients
you can find is watching friends and family enjoy a piece of heaven
you created in your kitchen.
Below
are two recipes for puff pastry. The first is a traditional puff dough
recipe, with diagrams of how to fold. The second is an inverse dough
puff pastry recipe. It is an industry recipe, so the quantity is suitable
for large, professional settings.
Puff
Pastry
2 c unsalted butter
4 c flour
1 t salt
1 1/2 c water (may not use it all)
Knead by hand
the butter until it is waxy. Shape the butter into a flat, square cake,
wrap in foil and chill. Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Gradually add
in the water and knead on a smooth floured surface until dough is elastic,
about 20 minutes. Wrap the dough in foil; chill for 30 minutes. Roll
out the dough on a floured surface into a square 1/2" thick. Roll
the edges a little thinner than the center. Lightly flour the square
of butter and place it in the center of the dough at an angle. Fold
the 4 edges of the dough over the butter:
Straighten
the dough square and proceed to roll out dough into a rectangle, rolling
forward only in one direction, until the rectangle is roughly 8"
by 16":
If the dough
tears at all, take a little piece from the edges and patch up the whole
immediately. This is important as this will trap in any air as the layers
are built. Fold the top third of the dough toward you, making the ends
as neat as possible, then fold the last third away from you, making
three layers of the dough:
You now have
three layers. Take this folded rectangle and give it a quarter-turn,
so that the unfolded edge is facing you and the folded edges are facing
your sides:
Roll out in
one direction, until the dough is roughly the same as the first rectangle,
about 8" by 16". You have just finished with one "turn."
Wrap this dough and place in the refrigerator. Chill for 30 minutes.
Unwrap dough and proceed as above with the rolling, folding and re-rolling
and folding. You need to finish 4 more "turns" for the dough,
chilling for 30 minutes between each turn so butter is firm enough and
dough is stable enough to roll out. Always be sure that the unfolded
edge of the dough is facing you.
Use this puff
pastry dough for any recipe calling for puff dough.
_________________________
Inverse
Puff Dough (large batch)
Makes 2 Patons. NOTE: Plugra butter contains less water, so changing
the butter would ultimately change the finished product.
Flour AP 2#
10 oz. Mix together.
Plugra Butter 6# 12 oz. Divide
in half.
(no substitutions) Chill.
Flour Bread 6#
8 oz. Mix until
Salt 2
oz. forms ball.
Water 40
oz. Do not
Vinegar 1/2 oz. Overmix.
Melted Butter 2 # Divide
in half.
Chill.
Place butter mixture
on the outside, bread flour mixture on the
inside. Seal edges and chill well. Roll out into long rectangle, a sheeter
will be necessary to assist you. You need to do 3 times of double turns.
Chill well after each
turn before completing next. After the double turns are completed, roll
out and fold in half. Ready for use or for the freezer.
References
used:
From
the recipe files of Renee Shelton.
Editors
of Horizon Magazine. The Horizon Cookbook and Illustrated History
of Eating and Drinking
though the Ages. Part Two.
Ed. in charge Wendy Buehr. US: American, 1968.
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