Homemade Puff Pastry

Ughhh you GUYS! I cannot believe I haven't shared this with you yet! "bad food blogger, bad!"

Um...you may have noticed I've developed a borderline unhealthy addiction to spinach & brie puff pastries. Liiiike...poor Michael jokes that I "supposedly" make them but he wouldn't know because they're uhhh...gone...by the time he gets home. And we're talkin' about me making double batches...8 puffs....oops. 

#sorryimnotsorry

Anywho, since I've been using so much puff pastry, I really wanted to tackle making the stuff from scratch. But I was intimidated. But I told myself "KAYLE! You've gotta buck up and take on this challenge!" So I did. And surprisingly, not that difficult. Yes, there are some steps. But they're pretty simple (especially since I've provided you with a step by step photo guide ;P) and I've already made the homemade puff pastry twice.

I will share with you one downside to these: you end up with blocks of dough instead of the sheets you buy, so when you go to roll out the dough um...it's hard. Like...really hard. I get a goooood work out trying to roll that chunk of dough into a thin sheet. But it's do-able and I always get through it. And if me and my tiny, weak, arms can do it-SO CAN YOU!

Homemade Puff Pastry

From Annie's Eats "How to Make Puff Pastry"

Makes 2, one pound, blocks.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups (15 oz.) all purpose flour
• 1 and 1/2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 and 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 and 1/2 cups (24 tbsp.) cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp. very cold water
• 2 tsp. lemon juice

Preparation:

• Pulse together flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. 
• Add a quarter of the butter cubes and pulse until they are pea sized.
• Add the rest of the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl.
• In a small bowl combine water and lemon juice. Add half of this to the dry ingredients and toss.
• Add rest of the liquid about a tablespoon at a time, until the dough clumps together in your hand.
• Pour the dough onto a work surface (will be dry).
• Fraisage the dough-brace the heel of one hand against the work surface and drag small portions of dough forward in short, brisk strokes, bringing it together. Gather dough into a mound and repeat the process.
• Press into an 8" x 4" rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

• Place chilled dough (if at any point during this process the dough starts to get too warm, cover it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it again until workable) onto a lightly floured work surface and roll into a 15"x10" rectangle.
• Fold the dough, lengthwise, into thirds (like a business letter).
• Starting at the narrow end, loosely roll into a coil. 
• Press into a 6"x5" rectangle.
• Repeat the previous process (roll into 15"x10" rectangle, fold into thirds, loosely roll, and press into 6"x5" rectangle.)
• After you have pressed it into the 6"x5" rectangle (for the second time) cut it in half to yield 2, one pound, blocks of dough.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze until ready to use. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before using (or, if in a pinch, at room temperature for an hour or so.)

I just love looking at those layers of dough and butter...ahhh.