Creating puff pastry from scratch is typically a time-consuming process, often taking several hours due to the need for chilling between folds to achieve those distinct, flaky layers. However, if you’re short on time and looking for a quick approximation of puff pastry using just flour (and a few other standard ingredients), here’s a simplified recipe that can get you a puff-pastry-like dough in about 15 minutes. Keep in mind, this won’t yield the exact same results as traditional puff pastry, but it’s a great quick fix for recipes requiring a flaky pastry base.
Quick Puff Pastry Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
- 1/4 cup ice water
Instructions:
- Prep Your Ingredients: Make sure your butter is very cold; this is crucial for creating those flaky layers. Measure out your ice water and have it ready.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
- Cut in the Butter: Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, quickly cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. Work quickly to prevent the butter from melting.
