Fast & Easy Puff Pastry

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I was pretty sure I would never have the desire, much less attempt, to make puff pastry from scratch.  Why make something that is notoriously labor intensive when you can just pull out a box from the freezer?

But then I came across this recipe for Fast and Easy Puff Pastry from King Arthur Flour.  King Arthur Flour is always talking me to into doing, and buying, things I normally wouldn't.  Their catalogs and web site are full of too-good-to-be-true recipes and items all wrapped up in an aw-shucks, folksy demeanor.  I am a sucker and can't resist the temptation of their easy recipes and best sellers.

I don't think I have every been dissatisfied with anything I've tried from them.  And I ain't always easy to please.  So I decided to make their puff pastry.  

As promised, this recipe was fast and easy.  And delicious.  And comes together in about 20 minutes.  It takes longer than that to thaw the packaged stuff.  A bonus, making it yourself is significantly less expensive.  What's not to love here?

So what did I make with my made-with-my-own-two-hands puff pastry?  You'll have to stay tuned...

Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder.

Add the butter.

Work the butter it in to make a coarse/crumbly mixture.  (It looks like I have a lobster claw instead of a hand here.)

Leave most of the butter in large, pea-sized pieces.

Stir in the sour cream.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface.

Bring the mixture together with a few quick kneads.  It may feel like you have a pile of crumbs that will never come together.

But it does.

Pat the dough into a rough log, and roll it into an 8" x 10" rectangle.  Pretend this is a perfect rectangle.  Geometry was not my best subject.

Dust both sides of the dough with flour, and starting with a shorter end, fold it in three like a business letter.

Flip the dough over, give it a 90 degree turn on your work surface, and roll it into an 8" x 10" rectangle.

 Fold it in three again.  Voila!  Puff Pastry!

Fast and Easy Puff Pastry

King Arthur Flour

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pats

1/2 cup sour cream

Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder.

Add the butter, working it in to make a coarse/crumbly mixture.  Leave most of the butter in large, pea-sized pieces.

Stir in the sour cream; the dough won't be cohesive.  Turn it out onto a floured work surface, and bring it together with a few quick kneads.

Pat the dough into a rough log, and roll it into an 8" x 10" rectangle.  

Dust both sides of the dough with flour, and starting with a shorter end, fold it in three like a business letter.

Flip the dough over, give it a 90 degree turn on your work surface, and roll it into an 8" x 10" rectangle.  Fold it in three again.

Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before using.  To make pastry, roll into desired size.

Freeze dough for prolonged storage, up to 2 months.  To use, thaw in refrigerator overnight.