Puff Paste

Ingredients

• three-fourths pound butter
• one pound sifted flour
• scant half pint cold water
• half teaspoon cream tartar
• tablespoon flour

Method

1. 1

   Work butter in water to remove salt, then harden.

2. 2

   Mix flour with butter and cold water to form dough.

3. 3

   Roll out, fold, and repeat several times to create layers.

As published

This recipe was extracted from The new practical housekeeping (1890) by Estelle Woods Wilcox, page 410. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

puff paste. The water used should be ice cold, and tne quantity required depends upon the capacity of the flour to absorb it, which is quite variable : too little makes the paste tough, and too much makes it thin, ana pre* vents the flakiness so desirable. The most perfect cleanliness of the hands and everything used is of course, necessary. Handle as little as possible throughout the whole process, and let every touch be quick and lisht. A stone or marble slab is best for pastry, and one is usually fitted smoothly into the shelf of every well-appointed pantry and a glass rolling pin will be found desirable. Always make the paste in a cool place, in warm weather near an open window if pos« Bible. Gdod puff paste is that which rises highest, is lightest, and which contracts but little in rising. Puff paste, the flakes of which can be pushed off whole, or which, in the rising, is considerably smaller on top than bottom, is not good. To make Good Puw Pasie^ take tmree-fourths pound butter, of the best quality, free it from salt, by working it in water, form in a square piece, and place it in flour in a cool place for half an hour to harden ; place one pound sifted flour in a bowl, rub two tablespoons butter well into the flour and wet into doush with cold water, using about a scant half pint, making it as nearly as possible the same consistency as the butter, so that the two will roll out evenly together ; place the dough on the pastry slab, dust it under and over with nour, and roll it out in a piece say twelve inches long and six wide : flour the butter well, and roll that out in a sheet two-thirds the thickness of the dough, about eight inches long and five wide ; this will cover about two-thirds of dough, leaving one-third of dough, and about half an inch around the siaes and top edge, without butter ; place the sheet of butter on dough, mix a half teaspoon cream tartar with tablespoon flour

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