Easy puff pastry is a shortcut method for making your own puff pastry at home. It is also called rough puff pastry or quick puff pastry.
This recipe involves folding of the dough, but no laminating of the butter and dough. The results are amazing and you can use in all your favorite recipes calling for puff pastry.
Why make this recipe
I love puff pastry. It makes the most amazing desserts, appetizers, and pastries. But I have never loved the idea of all the steps involved in making homemade puff pastry - until now with this easy puff pastry!
Traditional puff pastry dough consists of a dough layer and a butter layer. You laminate the two together and then fold them in just such a way to create the many layers the pastry is known for.
Puff pastry is one of those recipes I kept moving to the bottom of my list to make. One day, is what I kept telling myself.
Then I found a recipe for a quick and easy puff pastry in a Williams Sonoma cookbook and thought I'd give it a try. I must admit, I was a bit skeptical at first. The results were amazing and the process really was easy!
This can be made ahead of time and frozen. Yep, no need to buy a box of frozen puff pastry from the store anymore. Just make this quick and easy puff pastry dough and pop it into the freezer and simply pull out when you are planning on using puff pastry.
Key ingredients
This recipe only uses three simple ingredients - all purpose flour, salted butter, salt and ice cold water.
Steps by step directions
- Combine flour and salt together in a bowl of a stand mixer
- Add cubed butter and mix on medium low speed until butter and flour form a coarse mixture
- Add ice cold water and mix just until dough begins to come together. It will still appear dry and crumbly
- Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 3-4 times to pull dough together into a ball
- Begin rolling out dough into a rectangle about 8 x 12 inches. Use your hands or a bench scraper to keep the sides even.
Folding the dough
The folding of the dough is a crucial step in making this puff pastry. Without the folding, you don't get the layers. You will fold and repeat these steps three different times.
- Begin on the short side of the dough. Fold dough over ⅔ of the way - like folding a letter.
- Fold the other side over the folded side
- Roll dough out again and repeat the steps for folding. You will roll and fold the dough a total of three times.
My tips
- Cut butter into small cubes. Keep butter chilled until just before using. I cubed my butter and then put it back into the refrigerator until I needed it.
- If your house is hot, chill flour before using.
- Use ice cold water.
- When rolling out dough, try to keep in a rectangular shape. You can reshape ends with your hands or a bench scraper.
- Always fold your dough the same direction so you can keep track of what you are doing.
- Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in a zip top bag.
- Chill for at least 4 hours before using.
- Dough may be frozen for up to 3 months.
- If frozen, remove from dough at least two hours prior to using or thaw in refrigerator overnight.
- Use in any recipe calling for puff pastry.
- This dough will be a bit more difficult to roll out than store bought dough. It contains all butter. If the dough is too firm after the 4 hour chilling, let the dough rest for 5 minutes on the counter. As the dough warms, it will become easier to roll. As dough continues to warm, it will become sticky. Just pop back into the refrigerator for a few minutes until the butter firms up.
Recipe Faqs
First, try refrigerating dough so the butter is firm. Next try adding just a bit of extra flour when rolling the dough.
Puff pastry will last for up to 10 days in the refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer. Be certain to fully wrap the pastry in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer zip top bag.
How to use puff pastry
Once puff pastry dough is made it becomes an ingredient you use in other recipes, This recipe makes the same amount as two sheet of store bought puff pastry, or one box.
You can divide the dough in half and roll out each half or you can roll out the entire amount all at once.
This puff pastry can be used in the following recipes:
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Check out all my baking recipes!
Easy Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter (cut into small cubes)
- ½ cup water (ice cold)
Instructions
- Place flour and salt into bowl of a stand mixer. Combine together.Add butter. Mix together with the paddle attachment. Mix until mixture is coarse and butter is smeared with the flour.2 cups flour, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 cup butter
- Add ice water. Mix just until the ingredients come together. Mixture will still be crumbly.½ cup water
- Dump mixture onto counter. Lightly knead together until dough forms a ball.
- Lightly flour surface and rolling pin. Roll dough out into a rectangle approximately 8 x 12 inches. Keep edges straight. If edges become rough, just straighten back by pushing edges back towards center. Reapply flour to counter and rolling pin as needed.
- Give dough a quarter of a turn so long side is facing you. Beginning on the left side, fold dough over ⅔ of the way, like folding a letter. Fold right side all the way over the dough.
- Repeat rolling and folding two more times.
Video
Notes
- Cut butter into small cubes. Keep butter chilled until just before using. I cubed my butter and then put it back into the refrigerator until I needed it.
- If your house is hot, chill flour before using.
- Use ice cold water.
- When rolling out dough, try to keep in a rectangular shape. You can reshape ends with your hands or a bench scraper.
- Always fold your dough the same direction.
- Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in a zip top bag.
- Chill for at least 4 hours before using.
- Dough may be frozen for up to 3 months.
- If frozen, remove from dough at least two hours prior to using or thaw in refrigerator overnight.
- Use in any recipe calling for puff pastry.
- This dough will be a bit more difficult to roll out than store bought dough. It contains all butter. If the dough is too firm after the 4 hour chilling, let the dough rest for 5 minutes on the counter. As the dough warms, it will become easier to roll. As dough continues to warm, it will become sticky. Just pop back into the refrigerator for a few minutes until the butter firms up.
Nutrition
Recipe Adapted from Essentials of Baking
This recipe was originally published in October 2017.
Robin says
Not sure what I did wrong…. I dedicated an entire day to this and found the rough quite difficult to roll out. I still followed the instructions to the letter. When I used the dough, it was very tough and chewy, more like pie dough. Do you have any idea what I did wrong? I made five batch and I afraid they are all bad.
Kathy says
Hi Robin,
Making this easy puff pastry is easier than traditional puff pastry, but there are still several factors that could cause the dough to be tough. When you were initially folding the dough, how did the dough feel?
There could be several things that happened - too much flour was added (flour can be compacted with storing and measuring), the dough was handled too much or the butter worked too much into the dough and possibly the water added wasn't ice cold. When adding the water to the butter and flour, use very cold water. If it’s too crumbly, add a little more water. Make certain the dough is fully chilled before trying to roll the dough out.
I hope you have better luck with the other batches.
Kathy
Céline says
Thank you for the recipe! This is the second time i make it and it is just great!
Kathy says
Thank you so much! I appreciate your comment and for letting me know! 🙂
Linda Martens says
Made this today and used half the recipe for Turkey Pot pie - Deliciously simple!! Thank you for this recipe 🙂
Kathy says
Thank you! 🙂
Valentina says
I can't believe you can make this is 4 hours! I remember making it years ago and I vaguely remember it took DAYS!! Such a beautiful dough!!! 🙂 ~Valentina
Kathy says
This quick recipe is a true time saver!
David @ Spiced says
This recipe is perfect for the holidays! (Well, it's perfect year-round because puff pastry is so versatile.) I always keep a box of puff pastry in the freezer, but it can be rather expensive. I'll have to try making my own here soon!
Kathy says
Puff pastry is one of those items that is so great to have on hand.
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
I use puff pastry all the time, but have never made my own! Brilliant idea, especially for the upcoming holiday season. So many delicious uses!
Kathy says
This quick version makes it so doable! Plus you can store it in your freezer - easy peasy!
Amanda says
Hi,
Just wondering if this recipe is considered 1 pastry sheet or two? Looks like a great recipe and am excited to try it!
Kathy says
Hi Amanda,
This makes two sheets of pastry.