Pecan Pie Puff Pastry
From sweet to savory, this puff pastry’s flaky, buttery layers make the perfect base for your dish!
Table of Contents
Puff pastry has been around for hundreds of years – we’re talking 1600s, people. That’s a long time. While no one knows for sure, puff pastry has been attributed to a French painter and chef named Claude Lorrain. I don’t know the whole story, but I read that he created the pastry purely by accident. Some accident, right? Well, on behalf of the human race, I thank you, Claude.
Homemade puff pastry is no easy task. It’s a labor of love that rewards you with a delicate texture and flavor that’s hard to find in store-bought pie crusts. Its flaky layers practically melt in your mouth – something with this much butter shouldn’t taste so light and airy! Puff pastry is pretty versatile too as it’s the perfect base for both sweet and savory dishes alike.
Is Puff Pastry Healthy?
It’s sad to say, but no, puff pastry is not healthy. After all, it is pastry, so you just know there’s going to be a decent amount of butter involved. But I’m guessing you probably don’t eat buttery desserts every day! It’s okay to indulge every now and again.
To make a lighter version, consider swapping one cup of all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour instead, and reduce the butter to ¾ cup. This puff pastry won’t be as flaky, but it will be more healthy! (Sidenote: you’ll also need to add more water since the whole wheat flour will soak it up like a thirsty plant.)
Keeping it cool
So, for puff pastries, one interesting part of the process is keeping the dough and butter cool throughout the process. Weird, right? Not when it comes to puff pastry! When the ingredients stay at a cool temp, you prevent the butter from melting into the dough – a crucial step to making this pastry’s flaky layers!
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup ice water
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine
Mix flour, salt, and butter.
Cut
Incorporate butter into flour until crumbly.
Hydrate
Add ice water and form dough.
Fold
Roll and fold dough multiple times.
Chill
Refrigerate dough before using.
Devour!
FAQs & Tips
Puff pastry can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Alternatively, you can freeze it for a long time, at least 3 months. If you’re going to freeze the dough, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-safe bag.
No worries! Add a little more flour, about a tablespoon at a time. But don’t overdo it! Adding too much flour toughens the dough.
First off, you’ll want to bake it at a high temperature, like 400 degrees. This will help the dough puff up quickly and develop a crisp texture. Also, avoid adding too much moisture to your fillings so the pastry doesn’t get soggy. But if there’s no way around it, and your filling is particularly wet, pre-bake the pastry slightly so it firms up. This may help with maintaining your desired crispiness.
Serving Suggestions
Puff pastry is the perfect companion for practically any filling, from sweet to savory. Serve it as a base for savory tarts, filled with creamy cheese and vegetables, or use it to top chicken pot pies. It’ll pair nicely with a refreshing salad too! Or, for a sweet treat, fill puff pastry with fresh fruit and bake until golden brown.
For more baking inspiration, check out these recipes for the perfect pie crust or eggless chocolate chip cookies!
Classic Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter cold and cut into small cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup ice water
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the cubed butter and toss to coat with the flour.
- Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces of butter remaining.
- Gradually add ice water, stirring with a fork until the dough begins to come together. You may not need all the water, so add it slowly.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and shape into a rectangle. Roll out the dough, then fold it into thirds like a letter. Turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat the rolling and folding process 5 more times.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using. This allows the gluten to relax and the butter to chill, which is essential for flaky layers.
Nutrition
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