Puff Pastry

Preparation

1. Step 1

   In a large bowl, combine 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour with the cake flour, salt, and sugar. With a pastry blender, cut in the butter pieces (1 stick) until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few larger clumps remaining. Make a well in the center, and pour in 1 cup cold water and the vinegar, gradually drawing the flour mixture over the water, gathering and combining until mixture comes together to form a dough. If the dough is too dry, add more cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Knead gently in the bowl, and form dough into a rough ball. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 40 minutes or up to 2 hours.

   Step 2

   Sprinkle 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour on a sheet of parchment. Lay remaining 4 sticks of butter on top, side by side; sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons flour. Top with more parchment; pound butter with a rolling pin until it’s about 1/2 inch thick. Remove top paper, fold butter in half, replace paper; pound butter until it’s 1/2 inch thick. Repeat two or three more times until it is pliable. Using a bench scraper, shape butter into a 6-inch square; wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until chilled, about 10 minutes.

   Step 3

   Lightly dust work surface with flour. Roll out dough to a 9-inch round; place butter package in center. Using a paring knife or bench scraper, lightly score dough to outline butter square. Remove butter; set aside. Starting from each side of marked square, gently roll out dough to form four flaps, each 4 to 5 inches long; do not touch square. Return butter to center square; fold flaps over butter. Press with your hands to seal.

   Step 4

   With the rolling pin, gently pound the dough all over in regular intervals until it is about 1 inch thick; this will soften the dough, making it easier to roll. Working in only one direction (lengthwise), gently roll out the dough to a 20-by-9-inch rectangle, squaring corners with the side of the rolling pin or your hands as you go. Using a dry pastry brush, sweep off excess flour. With a short side facing you, fold the rectangle in thirds like a business letter. Turn the dough a quarter-turn clockwise, so the flap opening faces right, like a book. (This completes the first turn.) Roll out the dough again to a 20-by-9-inch rectangle, rolling in the same lengthwise direction; fold dough again into thirds. (This completes the second turn.) Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate until well chilled, about 1 hour.

   Step 5

   Repeat the rolling, turning, and chilling process for a total of six turns; always start each turn with the opening of the dough to the right. (If at any time, the dough becomes too soft to work with, return it to the refrigerator until firm.) Wrap dough in plastic; refrigerate 3 to 4 hours before using the dough.

2. PUFF PASTRY HOW-TO

   Step 6

   A cold stick of butter that has been cut into small pieces is added to a bowl of all-purpose and cake flours, sugar, and salt.

3. Step 7

   A pastry blender is used to cut the butter pieces into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with some larger clumps remaining (as shown on spoon).

4. Step 8

   After a well is made in the center of the mixture, a combination of cold water and vinegar is poured into the well and gradually stirred in to combine.

5. Step 9

   Once a dough has formed, it is shaped into a rough ball; afterward, it is wrapped in plastic and refrigerated until well chilled.

6. Step 10

   To form the butter package, 4 sticks of cold butter are placed side by side on a floured work surface, then sprinkled with more flour.

7. Step 11

   A piece of parchment paper is placed over the butter, and a rolling pin is used to pound the butter until it is about 1/2 inch thick. The paper is removed, and the butter is folded in half, and then covered and pounded once again. This process is repeated two or three more times until the butter is pliable.

8. Step 12

   The butter package is shaped into a 6-inch square and refrigerated until chilled.

9. Step 13

   Meanwhile, the dough is rolled out to a 9-inch round (not pictured); the chilled butter is placed in the center, and its edges are lightly outlined with a knife or bench scraper. The butter is removed, and the dough is rolled out away from these marks to form four flaps, leaving the square in the center untouched. The butter package is returned to the square; the flaps are folded over to enclose the butter and pressed down to seal.

10. Step 14

    With a rolling pin, the dough is pounded at regular intervals until it is about 1 inch thick.

11. Step 15

    The dough is gently rolled out on a piece of parchment into a 20-by-9-inch rectangle, keeping the corners square; a dry pastry brush is used to remove excess flour. The rectangle is folded into thirds like a business letter.

12. Step 16

    The folded dough is turned one-quarter turn clockwise, so that the open edge faces right. The process of rolling and folding is repeated as above. Af ter the second turn, the dough is marked with an indentation before chilling. The dough is refrigerated for at least 1 hour, before the process is repeated twice more, for a total of six turns (see here).