English Puff-Paste

Ingredients

• a couple of pounds of dried and sifted flour
• one pound of butter
• a pinch of salt

Method

1. 1

   Break butter into the flour, add salt, and sufficient cold water to form a paste.

2. 2

   Work quickly and lightly until smooth, then roll out to three-quarters of an inch thick.

3. 3

   Add butter in small bits, fold like a blanket pudding, and repeat the rolling process with additional butter.

As published

This recipe was extracted from Modern cookery, in all its branches (1884) by Eliza Acton, page 313. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

ENGLISH PUFF-PASTE. Break lightly into a couple of pounds of dried and sifted flour eight ounces of butter ; add a pinch of salt, and sufficient cold water * The learner will perhaps find it easier to fold the paste securely round it in the form of a dumpling, until a little experience has been acquired. < CHAP. XVIII. ] PASTRY. 347 to make the paste ; work it as quickly and as lightly as possible, until it is smooth and pliable, then level it with the paste-roller until it is three-quarters of an inch thick, and place regularly upon it six ounces of butter in small bits ; fold the paste like a blanket pudding, roll it out again, lay on it six ounces more of butter, repeat the rolling, dusting each time a little flour over the board and paste, add again six ounces of butter, and roll the paste out thin three or four times, folding the ends into the middle. Flour, 2 lbs. ; little salt; butter, 1 lb. 10 oz. If very rich paste be required, equal portions of flour and butter must be used ; and the latter may be divided into two, instead of three parts, when it is to be rolled in. CREAM CRUST, ( Author's Receipt. Very good.') Stir a little fine salt into a pound of dry flour, and mix gradually with it sufficient very thick, sweet cream to form a smooth paste ; it will be found sufficiently good for common family dinners, without the addition of butter ; but to make an excellent crust, roll in four ounces in the usual way, after having given the paste a couple of turns. Handle it as lightly as possible in making it, and send it to the oven as soon as it is ready : it may be used for fruit tarts, canne- lons, puffs, and other varieties of small pastry, or for good meat pies. Six ounces of butter to the pound of flour will give a very rich crust. Flour, 1 lb. ; salt, 1 small saltspoonful (more for meat pies) ; rich cream, ^ to f pint ; butter, 4 oz. ; for richest crust, 6 oz. PATE BRIS^E; OR FRENCH CRUST FOR HOT OR COLD MEAT PIES. Sift two pounds and a quarter of fine dry flour, and break into it one pound of butter

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.