Category: Baking, Pastry, Savoury, Pie & Snack Base
Best For: Sausage rolls, pies, turnovers
Servings: Makes enough for multiple pastries
Prep Time: 20 minutes (+ chilling time)
Difficulty: Medium (but very forgiving)
Ingredients:
- 315 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 225 g very cold butter, grated or cubed
- 180 ml ice-cold water
Instructions (Hand Method):
1. Combine dry ingredients:
Mix flour and salt in a bowl.
2. Add butter:
Toss the cold butter through the flour. Butter pieces should remain visible—this is essential for flaky layers.
3. Add water:
Add ice-cold water and mix gently until a dough forms. The dough should look rough and shaggy, not smooth.
4. Roll & fold (lamination):
Turn dough onto a floured surface and roll into a rectangle.
Fold into thirds like a letter.
Turn, roll again, and fold again.
5. Chill:
Wrap and chill for 20–30 minutes.
6. Repeat:
Repeat the rolling and folding process two more times, chilling between each round.
7. Final chill:
Chill the finished dough for at least 1 hour before using.
Food Processor Method:
- Add flour and salt to the processor. Pulse once to combine.
- Add very cold butter cubes. Pulse 3–5 times only—butter should remain in large chunks.
- Drizzle in ice-cold water, pulsing just until dough begins to clump. The dough should look rough and shaggy.
- Turn dough out and complete all rolling and folding by hand, following the same steps above.
Pro Tips:
- You should see butter streaks—this is what creates flaky layers.
- If butter starts melting at any point, stop immediately and chill.
- Cold dough is the key to successful puff pastry.
