Home made puff pastry?

Morning Glory

Morning Glory

Obsessive cook
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I've lost count of the number of TV chefs who say 'its not worth making your own puff pastry. Store bought is fine'. Now as it happens I tend to disagree. The shop bought pastry is OK if you don't have time, but to me it never tastes as good as when I make it myself. The same goes for croissants (which are yeasted puff pastry).

Tell us what you think. Do you make your own puff pastry?
 
I buy it commercially for the restaurant but the quality varies based on price. The one I buy is used by most reputable establishments and is considered the best, and yes it's all butter. I do make my own when I feel ambitious. Supermarket puff is generally not that good and usually avoid it unless I can't.
 
There are some things I'll take the time and put forth the effort to make, when I could easily buy it. I don't mind stirring constantly for 20 minutes to make a chocolate roux for my gumbo. But, I've watched puff pastry being made on YouTube, and I just don't want to do all that.

I also have a bias -- I love to cook, but don't really like to bake.

CD
 
caseydog said:
There are some things I'll take the time and put forth the effort to make, when I could easily buy it. I don't mind stirring constantly for 20 minutes to make a chocolate roux for my gumbo. But, I've watched puff pastry being made on YouTube, and I just don't want to do all that.

I also have a bias -- I love to cook, but don't really like to bake.

CD
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No CD you must make it once :woot: those are the rules.
 
caseydog said:
But, I've watched puff pastry being made on YouTube, and I just don't want to do all that.
Click to expand...

Funny thing is that there is a pervading myth that its technically difficult and time consuming to make from scratch. In fact the actual time doing anything is quite minimal and what you do is simple. The rest of the time it simply rests in the fridge. Of course, if you are out of the house all day it wouldn't be the thing to do but if you are at home it really doesn't take a huge amount of effort.

Of course if baking isn't your thing then its understandable you wouldn't want to do it. I feel the same way about charcuterie, but hats off to those who do it.

Croissants are more tricky because yeasted dough doesn't want to roll out and contracts as fast as you try to roll it!
 
I've not made it, I will one day, just to say I've done it. Same with croissants.

I don't care that much for typical supermarket puff pastry (Pepperidge Farms, mainly), but I think I can get all-butter pastry at the gourmet grocer. We just don't eat that many things made with puff pastry.
 
I love the yeasted puff pastry recipe Morning Glory posted. I think it was a British baker's recipe. It takes a very long time, but the vast majority of it is inactive, as is a regular puff pastry dough. It's worth making in my opinion.
 
I'm the same as caseydog I'm not into baking, my daughter is a very good cook and baker. I only have to ask her ang she will make me s cake. ( not often)
The baker near me where I get the odd pie is owned by a Vietnamese guy who started his first shop on the other side of town, he now has four shops and he makes all his own pastry. The pies are really flaky and very popular.
If I could have a simple recipe I'd make my own, like a recipe printed out for flaky or short etc , I'd keep it near the kitchen, whip it out and make. But I don't have that recipe. I buy a pack that has 5 pre rolled out sheets in it.

Russ
 
Morning Glory said:
I've lost count of the number of TV chefs who say 'its not worth making your own puff pastry. Store bought is fine'. Now as it happens I tend to disagree. The shop bought pastry is OK if you don't have time, but to me it never tastes as good as when I make it myself. The same goes for croissants (which are yeasted puff pastry).

Tell us what you think. Do you make your own puff pastry?
Click to expand...

This thread isn't too old, so instead of creating a new one, I'll post my inquiry here.

I am looking to make puff pastry shells/crusts for a couple things and researched threads that indicate that butter between layers of dough, folded over on each other, is the trick. The dough is simple, unless sweetened or otherwise specially flavored.

Before I dive into it without much more than this knowledge, I'd appreciate any suggestions in advance.

I prefer not to go store bought as I may intend to specially shape or flavor the puff pastry shells/crusts I intend.
 
I´ve never attempted to make it and I doubt whether I will, even though I love puff pastry. In fact, over Christmas I used a commercial brand to make wild mushroom turnovers:
78152
 
flyinglentris said:
butter between layers of dough, folded over on each other, is the trick.
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Well, the end result is butter between layers of dough but in fact, in terms of the process you only add the butter once as the first step.. The rest of the time you are simply folding and rolling (and resting the dough in the fridge in between). Its much easier than most people think.
 
Morning Glory said:
Well, the end result is butter between layers of dough but in fact, in terms of the process you only add the butter once as the first step.. The rest of the time you are simply folding and rolling (and resting the dough in the fridge in between). Its much easier than most people think.
Click to expand...

How long to rest in between? Between each fold?
 
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