Puff Pastry

The puff pastry or puff pastry in English is a mass that today is essential in several recipes from different countries.

Accompanied by sweet or salty, it offers a soft, light touch and above all, very crunchy.

The puff pastry is the base of any empanada, apple or fruit tarts, empanadillas, Neapolitans, millefeuille, meat, fish, or salty snacks, etc.

She is very helpful before an unexpected dinner

In the supermarket you can find frozen or fresh puff pastry, which is ready to fill to taste and bake as indicated by the manufacturer.

But like everything, home cooking  is much better. Its flavor will change completely, making it your way, crunchy and with that special touch that precooked dishes lack.

On this occasion, we are going to show you how to make a homemade puff pastry, which you can freeze later or use immediately and enjoy it freshly made.

Puff pastry recipe 

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of flour
• 20 g of salt
• 60 g of lard
• 570 ml of water

For the folds:

• 800 g of lard or butter

Utensils

• Vegetable paper
• Tray
• Dish towel
• Roller

preparation:

• Put all the flour on the counter, make a mound on top and open a volcano above.
• Inside put the butter, salt and a little water. Mix well with your hands, starting to knead in the center and gradually collecting the flour from around it.
• Add more water and flour. Mix with your hands without stopping.
• When everything is unified, go kneading and banging hard against the table.
• Pick up and hit again. When it is knocked open, you close it by plaguing it on itself. So several more times.

• When is the dough well kneaded? There is a trick to find out: Take a scoop of the dough and roll it out with your fingers. If when you stretch it well it does not break, the dough is ready.
• Roll the puff pastry into a ball.
• Place parchment paper on a tray and sprinkle it with a little flour. Put the puff pastry ball on top and cover with a clean kitchen towel or towel.
• Let it sit for fifteen minutes.
• Scoop out the puff pastry ball and place it on a clean table or workbench.
• With the help of a knife, make two cuts in the shape of a cross, without cutting completely.
• With your fingers, open the cuts.
• A little already open with your fingers, spread well with the help of the rolling pin and a little flour on top.
• Once well spread, place the butter in the center  and hit with your hand.
• Take each end of the dough and wrap the butter like a gift package.
• Sprinkle more flour on the table and a little on top of the puff pastry wrapped butter.

• With the roller, lightly beat and stretch the dough with butter.
• Once stretched and rectangular in shape, take one end and bring it to the center. Then the other end and you do the same. A thick square will re-form.
• Sprinkle flour if necessary and roll again with the rolling pin. You place it on the tray with the greaseproof paper and a little flour and let it rest for about ten minutes.
• You put it back on the table dusted with flour. Roll out with the rolling pin until the dough is very thin.
• Take one end again and bring it to the center. Do the same with the other end and fold it again. Spread with the roller very well. Repeat the latter three more times.
• Spread the dough very well, it will reach the point that it occupies more than two baking trays and is very thin and firm.

• Place the baking tray on top and cut the edge with the knife, so that you acquire two puff pastry doughs to make two recipes.
• Each cutout, fold it on itself four times. You can freeze wrapped in plastic wrap, or can place and on greaseproof paper in a tray oven to cook immediately.

The result is a crunchy puff pastry that you can fill with sweet or salty or whatever you can think of.