Puff Paste

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

In a bowl combine 2 cups of the flour, 4 tablespoons of the butter, cut
into bits, and the salt and blend the mixture until it resembles meal. Stir
in 1/3 cup ice water and, if necessary, continue to add water, 1 tablespoon
at a time, until the mixture forms a soft dough. Gather the dough into a
ball, form it into a 5-inch square, and dust it lightly with flour. Chill
the dough, wrapped in wax paper, for 30 minutes, or until it is firm but
not hard.
In a bowl combine the remaining 2 1/4 sticks butter, cut into bits, with
the remaining 1/4 cup flour and toss the mixture to coat the butter with
the flour. Knead the butter and the flour together and form the mixture
into a rough square. Put the square between sheets of wax paper and with a
rolling pin press it into a 5-inch square. Remove the paper, dust the
square well with flour, and wrap it in another sheet of wax paper. Chill
the butter mixture until it is firm but not hard. (The dough and the butter
should be of equal firmness.)
Roll the dough into an 8-inch square on a floured surface. Lay the butter
diagonally in the center of the square and roll the 4 visible corners of
the dough into 6-inch strips. (The dough will form an X around the butter.)
Fold each strip of dough over the butter to enclose the butter completely
and turn the dough over, sprinkling the work surface and the dough with
flour. With the rolling pin flatten the dough with uniform impressions and
roll it into a 12-by 6-inch rectangle. Turn the dough over, brush off any
excess flour, and fold the top third of the rectangle over the center and
the bottom third over the top, forming a rectangle about 6 by 4 inches.
Turn the folded dough seam side down so that an open end faces you. With
the rolling pin flatten the dough with uniform impressions. Roll the dough
from the center away from you to within 1/2 inch of the end. Flatten the
ends gently with uniform impressions but do not roll the pin over the ends
or the air and butter will be expelled. Reverse the strip on the surface,
flouring the surface as necessary, and again roll the dough from the center
away from you to make a rectangle about 12 inches long. Turn the dough seam
side up, brush any excess flour from it, and fold the rectangle in thirds
as before. This completes 2 "turns." Chill the dough, wrapped in wax paper,
for 30 minutes, or until it is firm but not hard. Make 4 more turns, always
starting with the seam side down and an open end facing you. Chill the
dough, wrapped in plastic, for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. The dough
may be frozen.
Makes about 1 1/2 pounds.
Gourmet May 1990
Converted by MC_Buster.
Converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.

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