PIES AND TACOS
Perfect for light and crisp appetizers, decadent desserts, or savory pastries, this recipe is a must-have in your baking repertoire.
Start by placing the butter in the freezer for about 15 minutes. This ensures it remains cold while working it into the dough, which is essential for creating those flaky layers in the puff pastry.
Meanwhile, mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Once the butter is cold, use a cheese grater to grate it directly over the flour mixture. Use a fork or spatula to gently combine the butter with the flour mixture.
Next, slowly add 7 tablespoons of ice cold water, gently stirring with a spatula to bring the dough together. If there’s still dry flour in the bowl, add another tablespoon of water. The dough should still look crumbly, but when pressed, it should begin to hold together.
Transfer the crumbly dough to a lightly floured work surface and pat it down. Use a bench scraper to cut the dough in half, stack one half on top of the other, and repeat this process five times. Although the dough will look quite rough at first, it will begin to come together with each fold.
Once the dough has chilled for 30 minutes, remove it from the fridge and place it on a floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle that’s about 10 inches long. Fold it into thirds, like folding a letter.
After the final fold, press the dough gently to pack it together, then wrap it in parchment paper followed by plastic wrap. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours, or overnight if possible. After chilling, the puff pastry is ready to use in any recipe that calls for puff pastry.
Make it ahead and store in the fridge or freezer for convenient use in your favorite recipes.