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+ servings

Rough Puff Pastry (Puff Pastry Cheat)

Prep Time 45 minutes
Refrigeration 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Equipment

  • Box Grater or Food Processor
  • 2 Medium Bowls
  • Rolling Pin

Ingredients  

  • 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, frozen
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, for the grated butter
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
  • 8-10 tablespoons ice-cold water

Instructions 

  • Grate frozen butter on the large holes of a box grater.  Work quickly since the frozen butter will begin to soften as you grate.  Refreeze if it gets too soft.  Or grate butter using a food processor with a medium shredding disk.
  • Place the grated butter back into the freezer for 10 minutes, then toss with 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour until coated.  Return to the freezer.
  • Whisk together sugar, salt, and flour in a medium bowl.  Add half of the frozen grated butter and toss to coat.  Return the remaining grated butter to the freezer.
  • Add the ice-cold water to the butter and flour mixture one tablespoon at a time and mix with a fork until shaggy pieces form.
  • With your hands, knead the dough in the bowl until it forms a large shaggy dough.
  • Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface.  Add an additional tablespoon of ice water to the smaller piece of dough left in the bowl and knead to bring them together.  Transfer the remaining dough to the work surface and knead a couple of times.  The dough will look mostly hydrated, but some dry spots will remain. 
  • Roll the dough into a long rectangle until it is about ½ - ¾ inch thick.  Dust with additional flour as needed to prevent sticking.  Tip: flip the dough over once or twice to make sure it isn’t sticking to the work surface.
  • First Turn: Place the short side of the rectangle facing you, and cover the bottom two-thirds of the dough with half the remaining grated butter.  Fold the dough into thirds by folding the top third down over half the butter, then folding the bottom third up over the top. Refrigerator dough if it becomes too warm.
  • Second Turn: Rotate the dough 90 degrees, then gently roll the dough into a rectangle again. Place the short side towards you and add the remaining grated butter to the bottom two-thirds of the dough.  Fold the dough into thirds by folding the top third, then down over half the butter and folding the bottom third over the top.  Refrigerate the dough if needed before the final turn.
  • Third Turn: Rotate the dough 90 degrees and roll it into a rectangle. Fold the dough into thirds again.  This time without butter.
  • Wrap the dough tightly in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  • After the dough has been chilled for an hour, roll and cut as needed for the recipe.

Notes

1. It is important to keep everything cold. If the butter or pastry gets too warm during the folding and rolling stages, place it back in the freezer. Before baking your puff pastry, make sure it's been chilled to get those distinct flaky layers.
2. To grate frozen butter, use the large holes of a box grater or a shredding disk on a food processor. There are pros and cons to both. Grating by hand does take longer, but there is less "butter waste" than you would get using the food processor. If using a box grater, you might need to stick the butter back in the freezer for 10-15 minutes since it will begin to warm up as you hand-grate it. Once all the butter has been grated, cover it and stick it back in the freezer as you prepare the dough.
3. Rough puff pastry can be frozen for up to 3 months. Prior to use, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
4. The nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. The nutritional value is only for puff pastry and does not include the nutritional value of anything made with puff pastry. It does not include the nutrition for any substitutions.
5. Be sure to check out the Key Ingredients along with the Recipe Tips and Notes sections found in the post, for more tips, options, substitutions, and variations for this recipe! You will also find step-by-step photos there.