This Homemade Puff Pastry is going to blow your mind. You can throw it together in as little as 15 minutes and it’s the perfect complement to tarts, quiches, turnovers, fruit pies, and other pastries.
Making puff pastry is a rewarding endeavor! Seriously, not only is it one of the easiest things you can make, it tastes phenomenal. Flaky, delicious, and it’s easy to make sweet or savory. Pepperidge Farms can step aside as it has nothing on this homemade version. We love to make the Quick and Easy Blueberry Tart and the Air Fryer Cheese Danish. with this dough as it’s so delish and stunning for a brunch, Easter or Mother’s Day.
🍽️ Why This Works
Four Ingredients | One of these is even water! You probably already have these in your pantry and refrigerator right now so you can whip this up at any given moment.
Goes Great with Sweet + Savory Ingredients | This works so well with any sweet pastry you want to make. Besides the tart we have here on the blog, we use puff pastry all the time to make simple appetizers like pigs in a blanket or hot pockets and baked goods like pop tarts, toaster strudel or cream cheese danish.
15 Minutes Prep Time | Knowing that the prep time is so short means you can make up a batch or two of this in just pockets of time.
Meal Prep + Freezer Friendly | You have to love recipes like this that you can make way ahead of time to shave off minutes when you are looking to entertain or the holidays are
🫓 Ingredients
Flour | I recommend using all-purpose flour for best results. Cake flour and self-rising flour will alter the final result.
Butter | It’s vital that you are using super cold butter. It makes a world of difference and softened butter isn’t going to incorporate into the flour well. This will make the puff pastry dense instead of fluffy and flaky.
Water | The water you use will need to be ice water. I know this may sound strange, but trust me, it’s a must! Cool water isn’t going to blend as well as ice cold water and we need the dough to be the right texture and consistency.
Salt | While you don’t need a lot of salt, it’s necessary to add in at least a little bit. It brings the flavor together perfectly and will be a great addition when you are making something sweet or savory.
Homemade Puff Pastry is a versatile, easy to use ingredient that can be incorporated in everything from appetizers to entrees. I have a feeling once you try it homemade, you won’t go back to the frozen varieties because it’s seriously so good. Let’s take a look at the easy to follow directions.
🔥 Instructions
Step One: Mix together salt and flour in a mixing bowl.
Step Two: Carefully chop up the butter into small pieces. A large cheese grater worked well for me. Then cut it into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or an electric mixer with a paddle attachment.
Step Three: Add in the ice cold water and mix.
Step Four: Place the pastry dough on a floured surface. Knead the dough and roll it into a rectangle. Then fold the pastry into thirds and roll it again. Repeat this process 3-4 times.
Step Five: Freeze the puff pastry to use later or use it right away.
⏲️ Equipment and Tools
Rolling Pin – Any kind of rolling pin will work here. I love the old steady-eddy wooden ones.
Mixing Bowl – The bowl will be used to mix the ingredients together in.
Pastry Cutter or Mixer with Paddle Attachment – This will be needed to cut the butter into the flour. You will need one of these two to help you do that.
Storage
Refrigerator – Once you make the dough, wrap it up in Saran Wrap really well and store in the refrigerator for several days.
Freezer – Wrap this up and then place inside a freezer safe Ziplock bag for up to 1 month using our Freezer Tips and Tricks 101 Printable.
Serving Suggestions
Learning how to make this dough is just the start. We love to make the following with puff pastry:
❗ Expert Tips
It works best if you are able to use a cold surface when kneading the dough. If you don’t have a surface that is cold, at least make sure to steer clear of hot or warm surfaces. They will melt the butter. This means don’t do it over the counter where you just started the dishwasher. A large marble cutting board is ideal.
Take your time when making the puff pastry. Don’t rush it or skip kneading the dough. That step is vital!
Don’t add too much flour. Extra flour will result in a dense pastry that isn’t as appetizing. Instead, measure correctly. Always add a little bit at a time as you can keep adding but can’t take out.
Make sure to keep the butter and the water very cold. Don’t skip this tip!
When you go to cook the dough, if you are wanting a more FLAT result rather than having the dough be puffy, use a fork and poke several holes into the dough which will allow air to flow through and steam to release out.
Always preheat oven 15-20 minutes prior to baking as it needs an even temperature to puff up and rise evenly.
Common puff pastry mistakes to avoid: 1. Don’t handle the dough too much as it will get tough. 2. Don’t leave it out of the freezer for more than 30 minutes so you need to work quickly. 3. Use a floured surface to roll out the dough. 4. Don’t start working with dough you have frozen as it will crack. You can use a rolling pin and seal up the cracks but handling the dough minimally is ideal.
Recipe FAQ
This typically happens when you add too much water or too much flour. It’s important to measure all of the ingredients accurately to achieve the best results.
Over mixing the dough can also result in a tough dough. Follow the directions precisely and you shouldn’t have issues.
The puff pastry dough will last in the fridge for two or three days. Keep it wrapped up very tightly using plastic wrap and keep it away from air or heat.
Homemade puff pastry will last in the freezer for up to one month. It does need to be kept airtight, either in plastic wrap or in a food storage container. Any air will dry it out, so make sure it’s covered properly.
Place the frozen dough on the counter and let it sit for 30 minutes to one hour or until it’s softened. It should be soft to the touch and not frozen. Be careful not to let it sit too long or it will become warm and won’t turn out well when you cook it.
Butter is layered within the dough you are making which will create flaky layers when cooked. The process is called lamination. The process requires the butter to remain very cold so that when it goes into a hot oven, it will start to steam and releases the layers. The butter and oven are doing all the work here.
Make sure the recipe you are using is at being cooked at 400 degrees which will ensure that the dough rises.
You can take a toothpick or the tong of a fork and see if it gently lifts to a crispy and flaky crust.
Related Recipes
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Homemade Puff Pastry
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- Pastry Cutter or Mixer with Paddle Attachment
Ingredients
- 2 cups Flour
- ½ tsp Salt
- 10 tbsp Butter cold
- ½ cup Ice Water
Instructions
- Mix the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Chop the COLD butter in the small pieces and cut into the flour using a pastry cutter or a mixing paddle. You are looking for pebble sized pieces.
- Add iced water and mix.
- On a floured surface, knead the dough and using the rolling pin, roll it out into a rectangle. Fold into thirds and roll out again, repeat 3-4 times.
- Freeze or use right away for your favorite pastry.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi!
Ginny Collins is a passionate foodie and recipe creator of Savor and Savvy and Kitchenlaughter. Indoors she focuses on easy, quick recipes for busy families and kitchen basics. Outdoors, she focuses on backyard grilling and smoking to bring family and friends together. She is a lifelong learner who is always taking cooking classes on her travels overseas and stateside. Her work has been featured on MSN, Parade, Fox News, Yahoo, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and many local news outlets. She lives in Florida where you will find her outside on the water in her kayak, riding her bike on trails, and planning her next overseas adventure.
I am never buying store-bought puff pastry anymore!!