A shortcut to buttery homemade puff pastry

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, August 9, 2016

With its feathery, airy yet impossibly buttery layers, puff pastry seems like one of those complicated kitchen projects best left to professionals. Even avid home bakers who think nothing of whipping up a pie crust at the first windfall of summer blueberries will generally buy puff pastry rather than attempt an exacting recipe that takes all day to make.

But between the crunchy flakes of a homemade pie crust and the ethereal rise of traditional puff pastry, there lies yet another option.

Called quick, or rough, puff pastry, this shortcut dough may not bake up with the multitude of even layers you’d get from a classic puff pastry recipe. But it still billows and browns into golden flakes, making for a stunning crust.

Quick puff pastry isn’t much harder — or much more time-consuming — to put together than regular pie dough. Anyone accustomed to making pie can ace it on the first try. And even pastry novices with a little patience will end up with something enticingly delicious, even if it doesn’t puff up as much as it would with a little practice.

The key to getting those billowing layers is to fold and roll the dough over itself several times, without letting the chunks of butter melt. Those butter chunks release steam in the oven, which gets caught in the folds of dough, lifting them into gossamer layers.

Using frozen butter helps the cause. So does having the confidence not to overwork the dough before you begin to roll it out. In essence, you’ll start with what seems like an impossibly shaggy, floury mass of butter cubes. But fear not: As you roll it, it will coalesce into a manageable dough.

Just don’t give in to the urge to add much more water as you go. That will weigh it down. And do flour the rolling pin often so it doesn’t stick to the pieces of butter.

This recipe makes enough dough for two crusts. Use one for this tarte-Tatin-like peach pie that’s imbued with caramel and baked in a skillet.

Then freeze the rest of the dough, maybe to use for a fruit galette later this summer. Or pull out the extra dough during the holiday season when you’re looking to impress.

Even at its quickest and most rustic incarnation, homemade puff pastry will give you bragging rights — not to mention a fabulous dessert.