Rough Puff Pastry
I’ve always been a proud supporter of homemade puff pastry, but I’d never tried rough puff before. Lockdown seemed like the perfect time to give it a go, and I’m thrilled with the results. It’s quicker than traditional puff pastry but still delivers great lamination. There are lots of methods for making rough puff—some people freeze and grate butter, while others make a well in the flour like they’re making pasta. I prefer the old-fashioned method: using chilled butter and mixing it in with a knife to avoid melting it. You could also use a food processor, but pulse it in short bursts to avoid overworking the dough, or you’ll end up with shortcrust pastry. I’ve included optional sugar in the recipe for sweet or savoury bakes, though I once forgot my frozen pastry had sugar in it and used it for a savoury dish—it still tasted perfect.
Makes approx 600g
Hands-on Time 20 minutes (plus chilling)
Ingredients
250g plain flour (plus extra for dusting)
½ tsp salt
20g caster sugar (optional for sweet pastry)
210g unsalted butter (cubed and chilled)
125ml cold water
Equipment
Bowl
Sharp knife
Rolling pin
Baking parchment
Method
1. Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, and optional sugar.
2. Add the Butter
Add the cubed butter to the flour mixture. Use a sharp knife to toss the butter in the flour until coated.
3. Incorporate the Water
Pour in the cold water. Use the knife to stir and cut through the mixture repeatedly until a sticky dough forms with visible specks of butter.
4. Roll and Fold the Dough
Lightly flour a worktop and turn the dough out onto it.
Roll the dough into a rectangle. Fold one third of the dough into the centre, then fold the remaining third on top to create three layers.
5. Chill the Dough
Wrap the dough in baking parchment and refrigerate for 1 hour.
6. Repeat Rolling and Folding
Remove the dough from the fridge, lightly flour, and roll into another rectangle. Fold into thirds again.
Wrap and chill the dough before using, or freeze for later.
Enjoy!
