French Puff Paste

Ingredients

• a pound of butter
• a pound sifted flour
• juice of half a lemon
• yolk of one egg
• a little ice water

Method

1. 1

   Place the flour on a board, make a well in the center, squeeze in lemon juice, and add the beaten yolk with ice water.

2. 2

   Stir until the paste is as hard as the butter.

3. 3

   Roll out into a square, spread butter over half, fold the other half over, and let it rest for 15 minutes.

4. 4

   Roll out into a long strip, fold in thirds, and repeat this process six times, allowing 15 minutes between each rolling.

5. 5

   Brush with beaten egg for flakiness if desired.

As published

This recipe was extracted from The new practical housekeeping (1890) by Estelle Woods Wilcox, page 411. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

h pound sifted flour, the butter should have first been folded in a flourea napkin and gently pressed to remove all moisture ; ^if it seems milky or too salt the butter must be washed, and if it is properly salted no salt will be needed in the paste. When necessary to use salt allow a teaspoon for each pint water.' Place the flour on board, make a well in center, s(][ueeze in juice of half a lemon, and add yolk of one egg, beaten with a little ice water; stir with one hand and drop in ice water with the other until the paste is as hard as the butter ; roll out in a smooth square an inch thick, smooth sides with a rolling pin, roll the butter out and spread over half the paste, and lay the other half over like an old-fashioned turn-over ; [leave it for fifteen minutes in a cold place, then roll out in a long [strip, keeping the edges smooth, and double it in three parts, as fol- PASTRY. 481 lows : Fold one-third over on the middle third, roll it down, then fold over the other outside third, roll out in a long strip and repeat the folding process — trolling across this time so that the butter may not run ^4n streaks" by being always rolled the same way ; let it lie for fifteen minutes, some put on ice, and repeat this six times, allow* ing fifteen minutes between each rolling to cool, (otherwise the but- ter will "oil" ), and the paste is ready for use. If a very flaky pastry is desired brush the paste over each time it ij rolled before folding, with beaten white or egg. What is known as French Puff Paste is made with same proportion of ingredients as above, adding another yolk of esg when mixing the first dough ; then roll it out square about half an inch thick ; have the butter as cool as possible, make it into a ball, and place this ball on the paste; fold the paste over the butter all round, and secure it well. Flatten by rolling it lightly with the rolling pin until it is quite thin, but not thin enough to al- low the butter to break througn, then fold, roll and finish as above. If the directions given in above recipe are carefully followed, the most satisfactory results will* be obtained, but there are other methods, which are incorporated under the following general Sug- gestions for Puff Paste, The secret of success in making puff paste is to secure the greatest possible number of even layers of butter and dough, alternately, as the result of folding and rolling. This is best accomplished, as will readily be perceived, by increas- ing the quantity of butter ; the more one uses, the greater the num* ber of layers before the butter is exhausted by absorption into the dough. On the other hand, too much butter produces equally bad re- sults ; a quantity of butter equal to the flour is the most, and three- fourths pound of butter

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