Puff Pastry is a super simple sheet made with super basic and simple ingredients in your pantry. These sheets are widely used in baking sweet and savoury items. Generally we tend to buy them ready from the frozen sections in our grocery stores. But what if could make them at home? Recently I also made sweet cream rolls from these sheets!
Yes, nothing fancy, and super easy steps and ingredients. In just about 2-3 hours your homemade fresh and odorless plus eggless sheets are available for use. These are flaky , light and super crispy upon baking. The only science which goes in is the chilled butter and keeping the sheets chilled so that when you pop them in the oven the temperature begins melting butter creating pockets and airy layers and allowing them to fluff and crisp.
How to prepare a puff pastry?
So we mix flour, chilled butter and water and pinch of salt to make a dough. This dough is chilled in the refrigerator.This dough is popped out rolled and folded 4-5 times like an envelope and freezed multiple times and rolled every time you pop it out. The more folds it has when cold the more layers will be formed upon baking. The only important thing to be remembered is dont let the butter melt. Freezing and folding is the technique. The butter should not melt but at the same time be pliable.
These sheets can be made and used immediately or made ahead and freeze for at least a month or two. We need to thaw them in the refrigerator if we use them after long. *Do not thaw them at room temperature*
What can be made with these puff pastry sheets?
Savoury
- Vegetable/potato puffs
- Puffs / Jeera khari
- Any stuffed veggie and cheese puff cups
- Savoury stuffed tarts etc
Sweet
- Palmiers cookies
- Cream rolls
- Nutella puffs
- Caramelized or fruit topped tarts
- Cinnamon and fruit stuffed puffs… etc
Let’s check the recipe for puff pastry in detail.
Eggless Puff pastry sheet
Ingredients
- 2 cups All purpose flour
- 1 cup cubed/diced butter (any salted or unsalted) 2 sticks
- 1 cup Iced cold chilled water
- 1 tsp salt Skip if using salted butter
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl add 2 cups of all purpose flour.
- Add salt and mix it.
- Now take freezed butter and cube it into tiny pieces. Make sure the butter is chilled. Add in the bowl.
- Now take ice cold water and start adding 2 tablespoons of chilled water in the mix. Add very little water turn by turn.
- Using a spatula mix the mixture. Do not use hand as heat in your hands will transfer and melt the butter.
- Again add 2 tablespoon water and mix. it. You may need 1/2 cup chilled water or little more to bind everything together. Do not overdo water.
- Step 1.Once the batter comes together a dough is formed. its uneven and not soft. Now wrap the dough in cling wrap in two parts and freeze for 15 minutes.
- Step 2.After 15 min remove the dough from freezer. Dust your work surface with flour and lay the dough over it. With gentle hands press the dough and expand it. Fold it and make envelope with 4 folds. Do not roll.
- Again wrap both the portions in cling wrap and freeze for 15 min.
- step 3.After 15 min remove the dough from freezer again. Dust your work surface with flour and lay the dough over it. With gentle hands press the dough and expand it. Fold it and make envelope 4 folds. Do not roll. This time the dough appears little soft.
- Make envelope, wrap and freeze again 15 minutes.
- Repeat for step 4 after 15 minutes.
- Step 5.This time after 15 min when you remove the dough its softer. Again dust the surface and this time roll the dough with rolling pin and light hands. Try not to press. Again 4 fold and envelope shape. Roll the rolling pin on each fold lightly.
- Again wrap the envelope and freeze for 1 hour this time.
- After 1 hour its time for final fold. Step 6.
- Step 6.This time after 15 min when you remove the dough it's more softer. Again dust the surface and this time roll the dough with light hands. Roll it nicely, you can see the dough is softened and smooth.It's even everywhere.Again 4 fold and envelope shape. Roll the rolling pin on each fold lightly.
- Make 4 folds , envelope and wrap.
- Keep these individually wrapped sheets in a ziplock bag and lock without the air. Freeze until you actually use it.
- Before using thaw the sheets at least an hour before using them in the refrigerator. Remember using chilled sheets are important. If its not cold then we won't get flaky layered puffs.
- You can roll them thin as per desired thickness and cut as per required sizes. Use flour while rolling and fasten the process or the sheet will melt. If the sheet melts freeze again after shaping.
- I made these puffs. Apply a brush of milk or butter over the puffs before baking. This will give them beautiful colour. Preheat the oven and bake them at 400* for about 20 -25 minutes and enjoy!
- Check my recipe of cream rolls and veg puffs made out of these sheets.
Notes
- While kneading the dough make sure the butter is cold and chilled but pliable.
- Use iced / chilled water to knead.
- Do not use palm to knead the dough, the heat transferring through hands may melt the butter.
- The more folds and frozen the dough the more layers your pastry will get.
- The first 2-3 steps dont use a rolling pin to enlarge and fold. Just flatten lightly with palm n fingers.
- I got this consistency in 6-7 steps and folds. You may add up more folds.
Also check our other popular eggless recipes here
- Eggless red velvet brownies
- Vegan, Gluten free raspberry muffins
- Eggless Banana bread
- Avocado Oatmeal Cookies
- Eggless Chocolate chip cookies
- Eggless mini pineapple cherry cheesecake
- Egg free Ladyfingers
- Eggless swiss roll
If you like and try this recipe do write reviews in the comment section below.
You can also email me at veggie.bites.2020@gmail.com
For latest updates on veggie.bites follow veggie.bites on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest