PUFF PASTRY

This is the richest of all pastries and benefits from being made the day before use.

Ingredients:

450g cake flour

Pinch salt

450g firm butter or margarine

250ml cold water with a squeeze of lemon juice (approximate)

Method:

1. Mix the flour and salt together. Place butte on a place and work with a knife until soft. Rub a small knob of butter into the flour.

1. Add water and lemon juice to form a fairly soft, elastic dough.

1. Knead lightly on a floured surface until smooth

1.  Form the rest of the butter into an oblong, see “cook’s tip”. Roll pastry into a square.

1. Place the block of butter on one half of the square, fold other half of pastry over it. Seal edges. Turn the pastry so the fold is on one side, then roll out a strip three times longer that it is wide. Fold the bottom third up and the top third down and seal edges.

1. Cover pastry with greaseproof paper and leave to rest in a cool place for approximately 20 minutes.

1. Turn the pastry so that the folds are to the sides and roll, fold and rest as before until this has been done about six times altogether. After final resting, shape pastry as required. Bake at 230C

Cook’s Tip:

• To form the block of butter into an oblong, roll out butter between two sheets of greaseproof paper.

• Always take care to roll out the pastry away from you and do not break the air bubbles that will rise.

• Ensure the butter used is cold and hard, if necessary chill for 20 minutes after dividing into four portions.

•  If the butter comes through the pastry and sticks to the surface put the mixture back in the fridge to harden as the butter has become too soft with rolling and handling.

• If the pastry rises unevenly, it may be due to the pastry being badly rolled and folded. When rolling keep sides straight and always fold into a true oblong.