Handling Puff Pastry - Puff Pastry (2024)

FAQs

Handling Puff Pastry - Puff Pastry? ›

Work with one Puff Pastry sheet at a time, keeping the others in the refrigerator. Heat is the enemy of Puff Pastry—it handles best when cold. So avoid working with it on hot, humid days, in a stifling hot kitchen or next to your oven.

How to Refrigerate Puff Pastry. If you're a daredevil that made their own puff pastry, first, good for you; second, you can store homemade, unbaked puff pastry wrapped tightly in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to three days.

One of the cardinal rules with puff pastry, whether homemade or store bought, is to keep it cold and bake it hot. That way, the butter layers remain distinct until it hits the hot oven. And then the liquid in the butter turns to steam, which expands—et voila, tall layers of crisp, delicate, golden pastry.

And the store-bought puff pastry doesn't even need to be rolled—you can just cut it into squares and plop them onto the top. An egg wash finish gives the pastry that rich, golden brown exterior.

Unfilled baked Puff Pastry Shells or Cups may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. To recrisp Puff Pastry shells, place them in a 400° F oven for 5 minutes. Always bake Puff Pastry Cups in a preheated 400° F oven.

Can I prepare a recipe made with Puff Pastry ahead of time and bake it later? Yes, you can (with certain recipes). To simplify your day, you can prepare the recipe ahead of time, then bake as directed prior to serving.

Separate and place each sheet on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and defrost in the refrigerator for about 4 hours. Once Puff Pastry is thawed, work quickly while it's still cold. You can cut it into desired shapes, then store in the fridge until you're ready for the next step. Puff Pastry works best when cold.

Pastry being soggy in the middle is a result of the pastry being undercooked. Don't place the pastry on too high a shelf in the oven. One way to prevent soggy bottom pastry is to blind bake the pastry – This means partially or completely bake the pastry before adding the filling. Also, avoid over-filling your pastry.

That's what makes all those delicious flaky layers. But it also means that if the pastry gets too soft, it can get really sticky. Placing the frozen dough in the fridge overnight keeps the dough at a nice cool temperature, ensuring the butter layers stay intact.

What is the best way to handle puff pastry? ›

Puff Pastry works best when cold. Your hands should be cold, too, when handling it. Run them under cold water or squeeze a plastic zipper-top bag full of ice to cool them off. Try to keep Puff Pastry from becoming too warm when working with it by only using your fingertips—the coolest part of your hands.

The trick is to work large pieces of cold butter into dry ingredients and hydrate it all with ice cold water (as if you were making pie crust). Sometimes bakers grate butter into the mix or use a food processor. There's lots of ways to make rough puff pastry.

Puff pastry does need some gluten development but, because of the amount of rolling out that will happen during lamination, it is very easy to overwork a dough which makes it incredibly hard to use and can cause a lot of shrinkage.

Nothing: For a crisp, tan crust, leave your dough unadorned. Skipping the egg wash results in the most matte appearance, so if you like that look, keep it plain.

Once forced apart, the fat in the butter or lard cooks each layer of pastry giving the flake. If you open the oven during this process, the puff will deflate and flatten again, so don't open the oven at all during the first 75% of the bake, and then stick to the recommended cooking time.

You can bake Puff Pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. For a more even rise, place a sheet of parchment paper on top of your pastry as well. How to tell if Puff Pastry is done baking? Take a sharp knife and nick off a teensy piece to test for crispness and flakiness.

Keeping in the fridge

Shape uncooked pastry into a disc. Wrap well in plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Both shortcrust and puff pastry freeze really well. They will last for 1-2 days in the fridge (if they are well covered in clingfilm), but if you aren't going to use it in that time, wrap the pastry tightly in cling film and pop it in the freezer.

There is no need to refrigerate most pastries if you are planning to consume them within the day, as the moisture from the fridge can turn them soggy. But for pastries with custard and other fillings, it is recommended that you store them in the fridge if you are not consuming them within 12 hours.

Sweet pastry

It's used as the base for all kinds of sweet treats, from lemon and chocolate tarts all the way to frangipane. Resting is key! Never roll out freshly made pastry because it will shrink when it's baked. Ideally refrigerate it overnight, or at least for a few hours.