Puff pastry is built from two essential components:
- Beurrage – the butter block
- Détrempe – the dough
For the Beurrage:
| 350 grams | butter |
| 75 grams | flour |
Method:
- Place the butter and flour in a mixing bowl.
- Mix on low speed just until smooth and homogeneous. Avoid incorporating air – this should only take a few seconds.
- Transfer the mixture onto parchment paper, shape it into a 20 x 20 cm square, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for 3–4 hours.
For the Détrempe:
| 300 grams | flour |
| 5 grams | sugar |
| 5 grams | salt |
| 125 grams | ice-cold water |
| 65 grams | butter |
| 7 grams | white wine vinegar |
Method
- Place the flour, sugar, salt, water, and vinegar in a mixing bowl.
- Mix on low speed for 1 minute, just until combined.
- Add the butter and continue mixing for 4 minutes until you have a smooth dough.
- Shape into a 20 x 20 cm square, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Lamination
- Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Roll the beurrage into a 45 cm long rectangle.
- Place the détrempe in the center, brush off excess flour, and fold the butter around the dough to encase it.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes – temperature control is crucial for puff pastry.
- Roll the dough into a long rectangle, brush off excess flour, and fold into thirds (a single turn). Rotate the dough 90°, then repeat the rolling and folding process.
- Wrap, mark the number of folds completed, and chill for at least 3 hours.
- After chilling, rotate the dough 90° again, roll it out, dust, and fold into thirds. Repeat this process once more (2 folds). Wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours.
- Once chilled, perform one final fold (total of 5 folds), then rest for 3 more hours.
Baking
- Roll the puff pastry on a floured surface into a large sheet and cut to the desired size. Do not slice – clean cuts help the layers rise evenly.
- For an elegant effect, bake the dough between 2 wave molds (see details here) or between silicone sheets with a baking tray on top.
- Bake at 180°C for about 30 minutes, until golden brown.
For the Caramel Powder:
| 150 grams | sugar |
| 75 grams | water |
Method
- Combine sugar and water in a pan. Caramelize over medium heat until golden brown.
- Pour the caramel onto a silicone mat and spread it out evenly. Let it cool completely.
- Blend into a fine powder and keep it dry and covered.
- Finishing
- When the puff pastry is golden, dust the top with a thin layer of caramel powder.
- Return to the oven at 180°C for 5 minutes to caramelize.
- While still hot, portion to the desired size.
- Cool completely, store dry and covered.
