Tips and Tricks when using Buttery Puff Pastry
Author: Foodeva Marsay (@foodeva_marsay), https://marriamsayed.com/2022/03/09/puff-pastry-tips/
Whether you opt to use a Store bought puff pastry, or only make your own, here are a few tips and tricks that can help you enjoy a better experience when using puff pastry.
1) Do Not leave Puff Pastry at room temperature for too long. Work with small amounts of pastry at a time. Often times, we have a load of pastry that we try to use at one go. Puff Pastry has butter, which when left out at room temperature for long periods of time, will tend to soften and ‘melt’. This will lead to a sticky, and often times, an impossible pastry to work with.
Here is a trick I make use of, when I purchase a large amount of pastry. I cut up the pastry into smaller amounts, which is ideal to handle when making smaller pies, tarts, or twists. Wrap each smaller cut of pastry rounds, properly in cling wrap, and each portion can then be frozen. When you need to use the pastry, gently thaw in the refrigerator, overnight, Or thaw at room temperature for 20-30minutes.
2) Puff Pastry is delicate, handle it with a gentle hand. Do not attempt to unroll a puff pastry which is frozen or hasn’t thawed enough. This will lead to the pastry cracking. Whether using smaller amounts of puff pastry (Like mentioned above) or a larger roll, always thaw pastry gently in refrigerator overnight, or at room temperature for at least 30 mins.
3) IF the puff pastry has become too soft, and unmanageable, return the pastry back into the refrigerator for 30 minutes, or until it firms up again.
4) Treat puff pastry like you would any other dough. Use a cool surface to work on and sprinkle flour Or self rising flour on surface and onto pastry before rolling. You could also use a sprinkle of Corn Starch (maizena) if your prefer.
5) It’s OK to roll Puff Pastry. Often times, puff pastry is quite thick. It is absolutely fine to roll out puff pastry. Take care to be gentle when rolling, and do not roll out too much. When puff pastry is rolled out too much, you risk losing some of the light, layered end result that puff pastry is known for. Even the ready “rolled” puff pastry, can be rolled out a little more, before using.
6) Always ensure the filling you adding or topping onto puff pastry is cool, at room temperature. If filling is hot, the pastry will begin to soften (the butter in it will begin to melt), hence affecting the ultimate rise of the pastry.
7) Bake Puff Pastry from Frozen or Cold. Always set your oven temperature to moderate or slightly more to begin with. The trick to using pastry (Pies/tarts/twists) or any other sweet/savouries, is to add the puff pastry product from frozen or cold. The heat from the oven and the cold pastry, allows for steam to be produced, which helps in creating the marvellous layers, in the puff pastry, to separate and rise.
Most importantly…
Stay Calm and Happy Baking with Puff Pastry.
Love Marriam
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I DO HOPE THESE TIPS AND TRICKS HELP YOU GOING FORWARD WHEN USING PUFF PASTRY. Please do take a moment to rate this post further down, and share the post with your family and friends too.
I look forward to hearing about your experiences and feedbacks on my various social media platforms.
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Before you go: Here are a few Savoury Pie filling you can try next!
Pepper Steak Pie Filling: https://marriamsayed.com/2019/04/10/pepper-steak-pie-filling-marsay-family-favourite/
Chicken and Mushroom Filling: https://marriamsayed.com/2017/06/10/chicken-mushroom-filling/
Steak Filling: https://marriamsayed.com/2018/04/18/steak-filling-for-savouries/